The Ladybug Building

It was my birthday yesterday and since I had to start work super early (4:45, ugh!) and Mike had to work later than usual, we didn't get to do much. To make up for it, we went out for brunch today, but that ended up being a bust.  We both had a scrambled tofu dish which sounded so good, but the scramble was just soggy.  Not every meal can be stellar, though, right?  What ended up making my day was visiting something I've had on my "to visit" list for a while now, the Ladybug Building- 

Isn't it cool?  To find odd roadside attractions in your area, Roadside America is a great site.  We've found quite a few things through it already, including this building.

It's been a pretty dull week around here.  The weather has been cold, wet and gloomy and I'm still as busy as ever trying to get my arm to cooperate with me.  Only 5 more physical therapy sessions to go until I see the doctor again!  I'm guessing I'll end up needing a MRI because although the strength and flexibility is better than it was, it's not even close to where it should be.  Other than that, the pain in my shoulder is still bad, but my elbow keeps getting more flexible, little by little.  Small steps!

I hope that everyone's weekend has been a great one so far!    

Lots of Randomness, Great Food and Sentimentality

We went out for lunch at the Riverwest Co-Op Cafe again today and will be going many, many more times.  We love this place!  Both of their specials were tempting and although the Chocolate Chai Waffles sounded good, I decided against them because my sweet tooth wasn't acting up.  I went with their other special for the day, BBQ Plaintains with red beans, rice and scrambled tofu.  As always, so good!  The bbq sauce was spicy, which is my kind of sauce!  Mike helped me eat some of it and I still couldn't finish it all.  They're definitely very generous with their portions.   

Mike had two slices of french toast with Lightlife sausage.  Their menu states that the french toast is thick and they more than lived up to the description.  The pieces were about 2 inches thick and as large as Mike's hand!  I tried a bite and they were very good, but Mike regretted getting 2 pieces instead of 1.  It's rare that he can't finish a meal and this was one of those rare times. 

On the way to go grocery shopping, we stopped so I could take a picture of this painting on the side of a building. 

Around the corner, one of the shops had this sign in the window.  I thought it was pretty cute.  

I also went through several totes in our basement today, which felt great.  There were a few things in them I'm keeping, but the rest is getting donated.  After all, we've been in our house for almost three years now, so if we haven't needed the stuff in those totes yet then we most likely never will!  I found a Shape magazine from August 2003 where a photo of mine was published.  I ripped the page out of the magazine and scanned it so that I could donate the magazine- 

The contest was to submit a photo you took of something in nature that inspired you.  Mine was a sunrise over Lake Michigan and it won second place!  This is a scan of the actual photo, which isn't the best quality, but gives you a better look at it-

It's been so liberating to get rid of so many things that we don't need, but there's one tote downstairs that has been very difficult for me.  I need to go through it because it does have some things I should donate, but I can't bring myself to do it yet.  It's a tote of Bruno's things and even now, almost 7 years since he died, I can still smell him when I open the tote up.  It's overwhelming and so comforting at the same time.  There are several things in the tote I want to keep, like an imprint of his paw print, his favorite toy and his collar.  However, there are a few other things I really should donate- his food & water bowls, some other toys, a picture frame.  I'll be ready to do it eventually, but for now, I'll focus on the other things I need to go through.  They say time heals all wounds, but I can't really agree with that.  There's a passage in What The Night Knows by Dean Koontz that struck a strong nerve with me-

"Time doesn’t, as advertised, heal all wounds. Although the wrenching immediacy of grief eventually passed, the settled sorrow that replaced it might in its own way be even more intense."

It's not that I focus on his death and my loss.  Over time, I have learned to focus on all the happy memories I have of him, but that ache has never gone away completely.  After all, how can you ever get over losing a part of yourself?  Time doesn't heal all wounds.  It only helps you to learn to live with them.

Hopefully that wasn't too depressing for everyone.  I just had to get it off my chest.  I am having a wonderful weekend so far and hope that you all are, too!       

General Tao's Tofu and Some Randomness

The work week is finally over!  That called for a meal we haven't had in a while- General Tao's Tofu.  To make it healthier, Mike baked the tofu instead of frying it.  We didn't notice any difference compared to when we used to fry it- that's a win!

This week was an exhausting one, but all is still well.  My arm is finally making some progress again, which was very encouraging, and the weather was beautiful most of the week.  Tonight is rainy, which is perfect for relaxing and watching a movie.  Emma seems to have the right idea!  I'll be following her lead very soon.    

I'm curious- has anyone ever considered turning their comments off on their blog posts?  It seems to be a trend that's growing and like a lot of things, it has it's pros and cons.  I briefly considered it for a few reasons, but mainly so that others who read my blog don't feel like they have to leave a comment.   I still feel that blogs build community amongst those who are like minded, which happens mainly through comments.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, if you're so inclined to share.

I hope that everyone has a lovely weekend!   

Organic Bedding & Our Alternative To A New Mattress

A few of our pillows were in dire shape, as was one of our blankets, so we decided that it was time to replace them.  A while ago Mike and I both agreed that when we do purchase new things that we want to strive to get things that are not only made to last but also eco-friendly.  After looking around for several weeks, we settled on getting a LaNoodle latex pillow and Metelasse Flax and Linen Blanket from Cozy Pure.  We both love the LaNoodle and will definitely be getting more of them because we have several more pillows that need replacing..  It's dreamy, as is the blanket!  After washing it once, it was so soft and snuggly.  It's also the perfect thickness to use year round.

The real test, though, was if the Queen of Sleeping In would approve.  As you can see, she most certainly did!  I barely start sitting up when the alarm goes off before she takes my place, settling in with lots of groans & sighs while I cover her up. 

We also got one more thing that we're very, very happy with.  As I said in this post, our mattress is awful, but we're not quite ready to replace it, so we came up with a compromise- the LaNoodle Cuddle Top Latex Topper.  I can't believe the difference this has made in our bed.  It feels like a completely new, comfortable bed!!  Since we got it several weeks ago, we no longer toss & turn at night, trying to get comfortable.  We also both wake up feeling refreshed and no longer have sore spots (my hips always hurt as did Mike's back).  It was definitely money well spent. 

We still might get a new mattress someday, but not for at least a few more years.  Until then, I'm more than happy with our new bedding.

Our Amazing Weekend, Part 2

Yesterday started off with us sleeping in a bit since we got home so late the night before. Snuggling with the girls in bed is always such a treat!  Once we got up and going, we went to have brunch at the Riverwest Co-Op Cafe.

It was only mid-morning, but the weather was already gorgeous out.  We ate outside in mid 70's, sunny weather!  I even got to wear sandals all weekend!  I could definitely get used to this.  Mike was also quite happy with how things were going-  

I had one of their specials- black bean tacos with avocado, spicy sauce, vegan sour cream and fried plantains.  The plantains are what made the decision for me because I've never had them before and have wanted to try them for a long time.  They're so delicious!  The entire meal was really good. 

Mike had the tofu scramble with potatoes, toast and Gimme Lean sausage.  I tried a bite of his scramble and really liked it.  He was very happy with it all. 

After going grocery shopping, we went home to spend the rest of the day with the girls.  We took them hiking at the state park that's nearby, which is something we rarely get to do in the spring here.  It's always too icy, muddy or a combination of both, making it very hard to walk the trails.  The girls were extremely excited to get to go on a hike, and then even more excited to go home and play in the back yard. 

While we were playing outside, I spotted a bald eagle soaring above our house, who was soon joined by another bald eagle!  This is the first time we've ever seen any in this area and I hope that they're nesting nearby so that we can see them (and hopefully babies!) again.

For a late lunch/early dinner, Mike grilled some veggie burgers (for both of us) and Tofurky brats (for him) on the grill, and then we just chillaxed for the rest of the night.  It was such an amazing weekend all around! 

Our Amazing Weekend, Part 1

Mike and I had the best weekend.  So much, in fact, that it will be taking two posts to tell you all about it!  In this part, I'll be sharing what we did yesterday.

The entire weekend was gorgeous out, with late spring/early summer type weather.  Not too bad when spring doesn't even start for a couple more days!  We started off the day by getting a few quick errands out of the way.  The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent with the girls, playing with the pups in the yard and going for a long walk.  After that, it was off to Milwaukee.

We started off by going to Fuel Cafe for the Super Burritos that I talked about in this post.  It was vital that we got nice and full because we had a long night ahead of us!  Once again, it was a great atmosphere and they were playing A Perfect Circle the entire time we ate- a definite plus.  We saw them in concert quite a few years ago and love them.  Great music!

After making a short stop at the co-op to get a drink and a few snacks for later, we parked the car and headed to the Riverwalk.  It's close to a three mile walk along the Milwaukee River and along the way, you'll see various pieces of art scattered here & there.  The combination of the weather being nice and it being St. Patty's Day made it more crowded than it would have been otherwise, but we still enjoyed ourselves. 

We passed this double sided sculpture of a ballerina on a cow. 

An old time clock. 

Different types of metal structures. 

The Bronze Fonz, which was the main reason we were walking on the Riverwalk.  I have fond memories of Happy Days when I was a kid and have wanted to visit this sculpture for a while.  See the building that's between Mike and The Fonz?   

This is a close-up of it.  Oh, and by the way, all of these pictures are ones that I took with my iPhone!  I just can't get over how nice they turn out. 

After we were done with our walk, it was time to head to the night's main attraction.  It was just a short walk away to the Bradley Center, where we were seeing Cirque du Soleil- Michael Jackson The Immortal!  I've wanted to see Cirque du Soleil for many, many years and to get a chance to see them perform such a great theme was especially exciting.   

The show was absolutely amazing!  If you're interested in seeing a little bit of it, they have the trailer and a few photos on their site (which is what I linked to above).  Some of my favorite acts were Tino Guo (a wicked cellist), the bookworm dance and the aerial dancers.  Taking pictures & videos was strictly forbidden, of course, so I grabbed a few photos off of their site.  These are of the bookworm dancer and the aerial dancers.   

I hope that everyone enjoyed their weekend!  Stay tuned for Part 2!

Simplifying Our Life- Random Things I've Learned

I've always been a minimalist in some areas of my life and as I'm getting older, it's definitely becoming more pronounced.  I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a minimalist- I still have a wish list of things that aren't necessities, we own & watch a TV, I have far more than I need of a few things- but, it still definitely applies to a lot of areas of my life.  Mike and I are starting to practice our own practical minimalism.  Each person who chooses to go down a minimalist path must define it in their own way, but basically, this sums it up pretty well-

(source)

Going through all of our things, both material and non-material (such as commitments, how we spend our free time, etc.), we've realized that there's so much we can do without.  It's liberating!  There are several other things we've learned so far-

Use It Or Lose It- While we didn't have a lot of stuff packed away in storage areas, there was some.  I found stuff we forgot we had and other things that were "too nice" to use, such as the cloth napkins pictured below that my grandmother had embroidered.  Why wait to use the nice things?  I dragged those napkins out and now we're using them.  For things that have been sitting around for the last several years, we made the decision to either display it, use it or donate it.  With the exception of seasonal items and a few memorabilia, there's no sense in letting things sit around in storage for a "just in case" scenario.    

Don't Want To Want- I've never been into shopping, but I did love to browse Etsy.  Now, I only go shopping, both online or in stores, if we actually need something.  Browsing through stores for the sole purpose of trying to find something you want to buy can be a slippery slope.

Limit Collections and Try To Make Them Functional- There are just a few things I have far more than I need of, but they're things I actually use and for each one, I put a cap on how many of them I have.  For instance- dog collars.  Sure, Emma & Rowan could each get by with just one, but I love to have several for them to wear so that we can switch them up.  My rule, however, is that we must use them on a regular basis and if I decide to purchase another one, then one must be donated.

Everything Has Its Own Place- This has always been easy for me, but over time I've seen how difficult it is for so many people.  I always put things back in the same place so that I can easily find it, and I make sure that space isn't cluttered.  Which leads me to the next thing I've learned-

It's Okay To Have Empty Space- Have you ever noticed that if someone moves into a larger house or apartment that they feel the need to fill all of the space?  Or that everyone doesn't seem to have enough space for all of their things?  We're going for the opposite- more space in our house.  Not empty rooms, although if one or two end up empty (like my stepsons bedrooms when they move out), we're not going to go purchase things just to fill them up.  What we're aiming for is minimal things in each room so that we have more space to live, breath and relax.  It keeps things easier to maintain & clean, doesn't clutter our minds and makes it very easy to find things.  Besides, space is just as good as having things.  After all, it's a hot commodity!   

Use What We Already Have- Since we're doing this for environmental reasons, as well, this only makes sense.  Besides, using our closets and drawers vs. having more storage furniture makes things much easier all around!

Do A Daily Walk Around- I've had many people comment to me how clean our house is, but it's really easy to keep it that way!  We only clean for an hour or two each week.  Wanna know my secret?  Each day, I walk through each room of our house and tidy up.  If something is out of its normal place, I put it back.  If I notice a dust bunny, I grab it and toss it.  This only takes me about 5 minutes a day, but it makes a huge difference in making things easier, cleaner and less cluttered.

Keep Surfaces Relatively Clear- When it comes to things like counters, shelves and tables, we limit what we keep on them.  This makes it much easier to do things on those surfaces like cook, write, pay bills and clean.

Keep Like Things Together- If everything has its place, then it only makes sense to keep like things together.  This helps reduce clutter and will help you find things much faster.  Pens, paper, short sleeved shirts, cleaners, etc.- they all stay together.  This also helps you to realize how much of something you have.  If you suddenly have all like things together, you may realize that you have far more short sleeved black shirts than you realized (this was the case with me!), which makes it easier to donate a few of them and only wear the ones you truly love.  

You Are Not What You Own- We have nothing to prove to anyone else and if they're going to judge us on our possessions, then I feel sorry for them.  The things that are truly important- memories, dreams & ambitions- aren't in things, but in ourselves.  We're what we do, what we think and who we love.  At the end of your life, you'll be focusing on what you did, not what you owned.  Recognize what you have, be grateful for it, appreciate it and let it be enough.  Focus on what you do have rather than what you don't have.

Ask Why Before You Buy & Set A Waiting Period- Unless if it's something we truly need right away, like food, we put everything on a list before buying it and let it sit there for at least a few weeks, usually longer.  That way, we really examine if it's really worth buying and gives us a chance to do our research on it.  This has saved us from making many, many impulse purchases.

The Best Things In Life Aren't Things- We're really getting into experiences, which enrich our lives so much more than things.  For example, going to a museum, attending an art performance, taking a walk or just watching a movie snuggled on the couch together.  No thing could ever replace the time we enjoy together and the time that we enjoy doing things we love.

That's it for now, but stay tuned for more posts like this.  I have lots more in store!

Foodstuffs- We Eat Them

There are quite a few posts I want to write up that are more involved, but I just haven't had the time lately!  I've estimated that I spend at least 17 hours a week with my arm rehab now.  That's a part-time job!  Only, I'm paying for it instead of it paying me.....  Small update- no progress with bending it for the last two weeks (scar tissue is tough!), small progress with straightening it and although my shoulder has gotten more flexible and stronger, it still hurts as much as it did a month ago.  So, it's not all bad.  I'm stubborn and won't be giving up on it!   

Since I only have a short time to write an actual post, I thought it would a good time to share a few meals Mike has made this week.

First up is Hunan Fried Rice from the Vegan Fire & Spice cookbook.  Please note that it is Hunan, not Human, as one person first read on one of my other sites after I posted this photo.  Although we may be vegan zombies in spirit each work morning (we wake up at the ugly hour of 5:00 am or earlier), we don't partake in the traditional zombie fare.    

Next up is Black Bean Hash Burritos, which is your basic potato hash with lots of burrito-type goodies thrown in.  I sadly had no avocado to add to it, but it was really good despite that. 

We also had Vegetable Pancit from Vegan Fire & Spice.  A simple dish that really packs a lot of flavor, especially with a little bit of tamari added.   

I hope that everyone is having a great week! 

Dog Harnesses We Love

Emma and Rowan are both pullers, despite us working with them quite a bit. They've gotten a wee bit better over the years, but still pull. To help make our walks more pleasant, we've tried every humane harness, collar and halter out there but none of them worked very well.  They either irritated Emma's sensitive skin, twisted around too much or seemed to choke them.

About six months ago, I discovered the Freedom No-Pull Harness from Wiggles, Wags & Whiskers.  We noticed a difference with them immediately and over the last six months we've had absolutely no problems with them at all.  As you can see in the picture below, the harness has a special leash with two hooks that give you several options- you can put one hook on the front loop and one on the back loop (which Emma demonstrates) or you can put both hooks on the back loop (which Rowan demonstrates).  For a longer leash, you also have the option of putting one hook on the back loop and the other near the handle.  Whichever way you hook it, pulling is reduced without hurting or choking them- lovely!  

Besides making our walks pleasant, they never bother Emma's skin, unlike everything else we've ever used.  The bottom part by their chest and legs is lined with velvet, helping to protect that sensitive area.  The only complaint I have about them is that we can't use them as safety harnesses in the car, but that's something we can easily work around.  We just put their car harnesses on and do a quick change in the car before we let them out if we're doing some exploring with them.

Which leads me to their car harnesses!  They're harnesses we've used for years now because they're the only ones we could find that didn't irritate Emma's skin.  They're called the 3-in-1 Vest Harness and not only can be used as a safety & walking harness, but also protect their chest when going through brush.  The part that's against their skin is lined with soft fleece, which is what originally sold me on them.  The only complaint I have about them (which also happens to be the reason I got the other harnesses) is that they make the girls pull more.  Otherwise, they're perfect!  Rowan models one for you-    

Happy walking, everyone!

It's Still Winter, But It Feels Like Spring!

It was a gorgeous day out today, which we enjoyed to the fullest.  I walked the pups with Mike for the first time since breaking my elbow!  Things went pretty well, although I had to be careful when Rowan started pulling.  I also threw the ball for them in the back yard for a while and for the first time this year, I didn't get cold doing it!  Ah, warm weather, I adore you.

Mike spotted three deer on the other side of our fence, so I snapped a quick shot of them through the window.   They were so close!

Soon after I took that shot, they ran past our bedroom window to the front of our yard and proceeded to give me a panic attack when they started to run across the road.  The road we live on is pretty busy and although the speed limit is only 35 mph, people tend to go much faster.  Thankfully they made it safely to the field across from our house and went on their merry way.  What a relief!

Crystal got to go on a supervised venture into the back yard for the first time this year.  She didn't seem to like it as much as she did last year, but I think that's because she's either now blind or nearly blind.  My poor sweetie has been running into things if they're out of place and she walked right off the deck (giving me my second panic attack of the day, but thankfully she wasn't hurt).  It breaks my heart, but she does just fine as long as we don't move things around, so we're going to be extra careful to leave everything in it's place.  Other than that, she's doing great and is as snuggly as ever! 

Mike put the patio furniture on the deck, our wind chimes up, screens in some of the windows (we could air out the house a little!) and the batteries in our scooters, too.  I really wanted to take my scooter for a small ride to make sure I could handle it okay with my arm, but he had trouble with it.  Every time he stopped with it, the motor would shut off.  Hopefully a friend of ours will take a look at it so that we don't have to bring it clear across the city to the dealership.

Can you tell that I'm excited about spring and the warmer weather?

I hope that everyone had a lovely weekend!

Embracing Being An Introvert

I'm very much an introvert, which I'm very much okay with.  In high school, I was quite social and went out a lot, but I also loved my alone time and grew tired of being around people.  As I've gotten older, I'm fine with staying at home most of the time.  Being around people exhausts me and I appreciate peace & quiet.  I've realized that I feel my best when I'm not bombarded with a bunch of stimuli and you know what?  That's quite okay with me!    

(source)

A few weeks ago, I stumbled on this great post about introvert myths. Reading through it, I found myself nodding and agreeing- it all described me perfectly!  This is what I love about the internet and the social media it provides.  It allows us to connect to others and especially for people like me, I can socialize on my terms, without being overwhelmed by stimuli.  Granted, I also need actual face to face interaction with people, but not really that much.

Not sure if you're an introvert or extrovert?  Take this simple test to find out!  I got a score of 15 (out of 17), which is in the "you're as introverted as they get" category.

Want to find out more about yourself?  Find out your personality type, which is something that helped me to understand a lot about myself.

I'd love to hear what results everyone gets, so please leave a comment!       

Pressed For Time But There's Still Great Vegan Food!

This last week has suddenly become very hectic for me  The main reason is this thing-

Remember how I said I wanted to avoid a static splint?  Well, that didn't happen.  It's vital I get my elbow to bend as much as possible now, as fast as possible, just in case I need to have surgery on my shoulder.  The splint will be helping that along by slowly breaking down the scar tissue.  I have a little over a month before I see my doctor again to find out if a MRI is needed.  Until then, I get to wear my new best friend three times a day for 30 minutes a pop. Add that hour and a half to the hour and a half that's eaten up by my physical therapy appointments three times a week plus the at-home exercises I need to do for both my elbow and shoulder and I'm spending quite a bit of time on my arm.   

Thankfully, I have something other than reading and watching TV to occupy me while I'm wearing the splint (it's impossible for me to type two handed when I have it on).  We picked up these sweet things on Monday.  White for me, black for Mike. 

I can't believe how easy they are to use!  One of the first things I did was play with the camera and download a few camera apps.  I don't have any pictures that I've kept from it yet since I've only played around with it a bit, though.  Those will be to come! 

We've been eating quite well lately, thanks, as usual, to Mike.  This dish may not be very pretty, but it's one we've made many times- Tofu Almondine.  We now cut the tofu down to 1 lb, though, cut out the oil and add more veggies.  It's a very rich, creamy, filling dish.   

Tonight Mike made the Asian Noodle Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce from the Vegan Planet cookbook.  We didn't have napa cabbage as the recipe calls for, so he added spinach to it, instead.  The peanut sauce is one of my favorites.  I could eat this salad often!

This weekend, we picked up these Tempt bars.  Has anyone had them?  For 100 calories each, they're quite heavenly! 

It doesn't happen often that I get all four of our girls in the same capture.  Sophie is usually laying on the back of our big chair or by the fireplace, but she took a break from the heat to cool off, so it was a perfect time to get this.  I love our girls so much! 

I hope that everyone is having a great week so far! 

A Snowstorm, Art Museum and Vegan Food

On Friday, we got the first snowstorm of the winter.  Sure, we've had a few light snowfalls, but this was the first significant one, which really wasn't that bad.  Hopefully it's be the one and only for the winter, which would be something else!  It dumped about half a foot on us and had us waking up to a winter wonderland.  Emma was not excited at all about it.    

Rowan, on the other hand, wanted to play in it immediately.  She'll sit and stare at the patio door, hoping that Emma will come out to play with her.  Every once in a while, she gets her way.  Even by herself, though, she has a blast, bouncing all around and running gleefully at top speeds. 

Yesterday we went to the Milwaukee Art Museum.  I haven't been there for over 20 years and have been wanting to go for while.  The building itself is very cool and there were some special guests on the lawn.  Can you spot them? 

We parked just a few spaces down from this funky car. 

This was one of my favorite paintings. 

They only had a few pop art pieces, which disappointed me because it's one of my favorite visual art genres, but I liked what they had. 

This cast woman was so creepy.  It looked like a real person was inside of the cast body.  They had her kind of tucked into a darker corner, too, which just added to the level of creepiness.   

What looks like coral is made entirely of clear buttons.  Can you imagine the time it took to make this?  It was quite large!

This bottle cap bunny was in my favorite section, the folk art gallery. 

We heard this before we saw it.  Creepy dolls, singing all creepy, in the Possum Trot Doll Theatre.  A lot of them moved, too.  Love it!  I wish I would have taken a small video of it. 

After a little more than an hour, we were hungry and the crowds of people were starting to wear on me (I have a hard time with crowds, even when they're small), so we left for some food. On the way out we passed this humongous, beautiful glass sculpture.  If you're interested in seeing more of my favorite pieces, you can find them here. 

We decided to grab a late lunch/early dinner at the Riverwest Co-Op.  Mike got the seitan philly, which was excellent. 

I got the tempeh reuben on whole wheat (I'm not a fan of rye bread).  It was..... okay.  Lots & lots of pepper, which kind of ruined it a bit for me.  I ate it, but wouldn't get it again. 

After we were done eating, we headed home to watch a movie (Moneyball) and read with the girls.  Today was a very relaxing day, too.  We watched another movie (Zombie Apocalypse 2012), read a lot, decluttered the basement a bit and played with the girls.  Pure weekend bliss!

I hope that everyone had a lovely weekend!