Kale, by the way, many ways...

We've been eating Kale.

And turnips, rutabagas, more peppers, 'nut squash, spinach, etc etc etc.

It sorta began when we were both fighting off a cold & I wanted to make us some chicken soup from scratch. Remembering fondly, turnips in the chickie soups of my youth, I asked for one to be bought with the ingredients. Somehow there was a half leftover - it was HUGE turnip.

I went to my go-to guys, at Food Network and found a recipe for turnips & something, who knows. What I do know is we had mashed turnips one night, sauteed turnips with broccoli another night and there was some turnip/rutabaga/broccoli "au gratin" another night.

Not too long after the addition of turnips & rutabagas, we saw Dr Wahls' TEDtalk & kale became our new ingredient in the kitchen. So far my fav recipe has been this yummy lasagna which we ate for a week. Kale made it's way into my Special Brunch for Christmas. Tonight,  I opened some cans of organic black bean soup, caramelized some garlic, onions & three huge leaves of kale and added the leftover cup or two of brown Spanish rice. I will be topping the bowls with the leftover Bison roast we had for Christmas Day dinner as taquitos.

Everywhere I looked, the folks raved about kale chips & shakes. I finally (as in 10 minutes ago) made my first batch of kale chips. Lighter than air, they are almost non-existent and they are kinda sweet in an odd way. I very very lightly salted the batch I made. I saved one big leaf for the trail kale shake experiment I have in mind for breakfast tomorrow.

The only recipe I have tried during this slow transition to eating more of the Wahls Way was a new take on butternut squash soup. But I was the only one who did not like the addition of the persimmons, so it was a success.

In my searching for more kale recipes and more info, I found a blog "dedicated" to kale. I think I have to try her kale hummus very soon & the pesto is just looking like it needs to be a staple here. While the goal IS 365 days of kale in our diet, I wonder how long it will take before that is a fact. I will keep you updated.

working; title, mother, not

Job seeking, hunting, looking is all too wearying.
I release "looking" & manifest "finding."
So, I AM finding a job, goldangit.

Next year, next year is just around the corner. It will be better, it will be different, it will be.

Every day is the same so I must be insane; I search the same job boards, email the same copied & pasted introductory email, attach the same resume, wait for the same non-replies.

I am thinking of how to go about this in a NEW manner & I am not that clever this year. I do not think of the statistics though they mentioned them in church the other Sunday. If I suddenly had some new skill set or qualifications, but see that is the thing; I do not.

I have been more proactive in seeking out elder care positions after my stint with my grandfather. I have sent all sorts of replies to all sorts of unusual ads - there was the muse position, the mad scientist looking for an assistant (last time I answered an ad like that I had a wonderful relationship), hell even one for a "sugar baby" just to see what he'd say. LOL                                                       no seriously.

Today I am tired. The Holidays, as they were, were good. The minimal emotional distress was had on my part. the minimal tears shed - mainly reserved this year for any of the various church events with the music of the season to allow myself to cry over. But, sigh, there are changes going on in my body. I have been marking them on a calendar & a new pattern has evolved. Nice, really. I just want the whole process completed. It's the limbo, in-between-ness of Life which wears on my soul & body AND mind.

We are still in between living accommodations. the Morning Glory Cottage is packed up, no one is staying there. the new place is just now ready & Saturday is supposed to be a move in date. Limbo, limbo...no fun-bo.


My body aches with new pains I was blessed to avoid in my earlier years.  There are supplements in the cupboard & in my system now.

On the good news front - there are also many new greens, colours & healthier foods in my system, too. I have been eating kale, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, peppers, squash, etc etc etc. And I will keep transitioning to more, more goodness in to my body, in my life.

Next year - doncha know the answer is 42?

Ever Juggling

Single mothers face many challenges. We hope we can make the best decisions for ourselves & our children in how we budget everything; our time, our money, our limited resources. And we don’t always have as much control over some of those resources. We can have court ordered child support and still not be able to count on that when doing our financial budgets. And as fellow American citizens know, there are variables in the current economic environment which can adversely affect us through no fault or lack of planning of ours. For example, working Americans have had hours & paychecks cut due the Depression in this country. And renters can be affected by their landlord’s lack of financial responsibility.


So begins my first Hip Mama Radio podcast. It's about G+, Secret Santas & da Mamas. It is also about more juggling as a single mama. I mentioned that even when you are a single mama with a boyfriend, you are STILL a single parent, a single person in many, many ways. Hence my kiddo & I renting a room with/ from another mama when we leave the Morning Glory Cottage. The bright side is another go at the Mommune, even if it's just 2 Mamas & their kiddos. The down side, I am still living on my own. Which is also an upside, but ya know what I mean.


Now if I were living with someone and we got this same 30 day notice we'd be moving together to a new place. Well, one would hope. I am reminded of a few years ago when the boyfriend who had moved in with me & my kids to our townhouse when he needed to move from where he was renting a room. When the going got rough there financially and then when the lease was up all he could talk about was getting his own place.  Hindsight what it is I should have let him. The point is that even then, we were a couple, living together but when it came to us needing to find a place together he was ready to do his thing and leave me, the single mother to fend for myself & my kids.


One day, I would like to be sharing a home with a partner, raising kids together and be done with this heavy designation of being a single mother.