tp

mia is currently sitting on the potty, unrolling all the toilet paper...waiting for the poo to come out of her bootie (her words). i thought about telling her not to unroll all the tp, but what harm is it causing? she's having fun and on some level, she just may be learning something and it's giving me a little break.

anticipation is killing me!

my djembe is Out for Delivery!!!!!!!!! Not sure what the hell I'm gonna do with it once I get it....probably bang it around and pretend I'm a Djembabe on stage with the spot light on me....or playing in a subway for the world to hear...or even better....in a drum circle with lovely dancers doing their thang to the beat of my music.

best shot monday

sunblock + sand + sweat = my BSM

For Tracey's & more BSM photos click HERE

in my face

Ben's M&C from Waterloo on 360 & 2222

my buddy, Ben, ordered some mac & cheese today for lunch. he sat right next to me taunting me with the cheesy pasta goodness. ok. Ben is 3 years old and doesn't have a clue what gluten is much less that i'm not eating it anymore. it was still a huge tease....don't get me started on the wrongness displayed by 9 month old Sam going to town on a yummy piece of WHITE bread while on my LAP!

husbands worst fear....

.......coming home to find a debit card near an open computer!

so, yeah, i bought a djembe today :)

the visitor

last night, i met up with drumming pals Andrea, Melanie and Anjalika (Stephanie, Leah Ann & Yvonne couldn't make it) at the Arbor to experience a beautiful film together . The Visitor. it was incredibly moving and makes me want to drum even more. thankfully djembe lessons are only 2 weeks away.

ebb & flow

last night, the inner Tanya hung out with inner Sara. lovely friend, Sara, is taking classes for cranial sacral therapy and needed a guinea pig to 'listen' to. me, me, me, meeeeee! yay, she picked me!..while i am special, she does need others to work on, too.

the whole experience was indescribable...here's the part where i try to describe it :) actually, i've just decided not to. i know i don't have the words to describe my experience, so trying won't do it or Sara justice.

just know that i was moved from within while laying still with lovely Sara's hands gently resting on my feet, neck and head. i'm also going back next tuesday evening for more.

best shot monday

i'm following in Andrea's footsteps. how could i NOT with this shot of Mia trying to catch water?

soymilk no more

soy beans - good

large amounts of concentrated soy - not good

the ONLY time i drink/use soymilk is in my daily much needed chai. i figured that out of all the other 'milks' out there that almond milk may be the one to replace my beloved Silk Vanilla Soymilk with added fiber or Omega-3's... i alternate boxes.

so today was my first try. let's say my ONLY try. it was fucking disgusting!

giving up 1 cup of soymilk a day, yeah that's not gonna happen!

note to self

stock photo of brownies....i freakin ate my brownie!!

don't eat a mega brownie before bed....regardless if it's GF, it's still packed with sugar. so, next time, don't do it if you want to come down off your sugar high in time for bed.

*Note to others:

Living Arts' brownies kick ASS!!! but do not work as a sleep aid.

*

bye Mama Elsa *sniff*

O'Mama Elsa and her fam are moving to Maine in early June. A few of us got together to wish her well, treat her to dinner and drinks at Margaritas....we pretty much loved on her all night. Elsa, her smile, her boys, her wicked wit, and her muffins will be really missed.

The lighting SUCKED!!!...these were the only shots that worked out :(

this lovely one of me was taken by Andrea T

the trash bag debate

as Daryl was taking out the trash a couple of minutes ago, i asked him to start thinking about not using trash bags anymore. when we run out of our current supply, i don't want to buy anymore.

here's our conversation:

Daryl: what do i use instead?
me: the can
D: how do i carry it outside
m: pick up the can, carry it to the big trash bin and dump it in
D: if i eat a trash bag can i keep using them?
m: WTF?!?!
D: it would show you that they mean a lot to me
m: why do they mean so much to you? (i ask like i'm unaware of his slight ocd cleanliness issues?)
D: they just DO
m: what if i were to wash the trash can out myself before it's brought back in?
D: ok. no trash bags

a few minutes later:

D: landfills are fine and there's all this research...blah blah blah (i stopped listening to him)
m: it's not about the landfills, it's about consuming less.
D: do YOU eat trash bags?
m: NO, less of a commercial consumer
D: oh, so you wanna save money
M: sure, yeah
D: ok. no bags....but we still have some left, right?

crap

i'm tired of feeling like crap so i'm going to stop eating crap.

hence, the embarkment on the wheat-free partial gluten-free way.

today was my first full day, and i did rather well. i think the only thing i ate that GF or WF were the two crab won tons i had with my pad thai.

who's really kicking me in gear (and she probably doesn't even know it) is Melanie. i'm taking part of a healthy challenge with some of the O'Mamas. Mel is putting it together, and it's just what i needed. so, i've recruited my honey to train me. i asked him to train along side me so i won't feel so alone. my husband is now exercising. he underestimates my sneakiness

close to my heart

as some of you know, my mama has been having some difficulties with her beautiful heart. a lot has been going on, and she is now the proud owner of a pacemaker...talk about Bling! only one lead is in, they have to go back in a month to attach the other...her heart was too smooth or something. she's had some scares (like a super minor TIA stroke...they can't even tell when that happened. don't worry, she's ok), but she'll be released from the hospital today. she's so excited to get back home to her puppy, Max and her fabulous garden.

my sister, Mae, flew down from Denver to see her over the weekend. they had a great visit. mom can't have us down yet. she needs to settle home. Mia wasn't allowed in the hospital, and mom can't be jostled too much. that's something that i'm not sure Mia would understand. she'd want full access to her beloved Ita. so, Mia and i will be flying down as soon as the dust settles.

i miss my mom. Mother's Day was a little bittersweet this year knowing she was stuck in the hospital. so glad Mae was there. but my sweet mom was in the forefront of my mind all day.

yesterday, i talked with her on the phone while i was reading to Mia. we have a couple of new books on meditation for children...easy reads with gorgeous illustrations. so, i read to my mom, too. she said it was just what she needed. i just want to snuggle up with her on the sofa. my head on her lap and she just stroking my hair...us talking about everything and nothing. i miss my mom.

an evening of rhythm & love

OMG!!! friday night i hung out with pals Stephanie, Yvonne, Andrea and her two awesome boys, Jay & Domi. after having a couple of cold beers with Yvonne (i heart her), we meet up with the rest of the group at the Djembabe benefit concert...benefiting The Sankofa Center for African Dance & Culture.....an AIDS education art/drama group in Ghana, West Africa.

the drum class went first

i CAN"T say enough about the

Djembabes (click and read what they're 'about') . i was moved by these beautiful women with powerful voices and amazing rhythms. i'm so ready to take the djembe drumming class with my amigas in june.

Enzo...dancing in the isles

after the Djembabes, The Bells of Joy took stage. they're a rockin' gospel group from way back. they were too much fun! they made me smile.


then out came Rattletree Marimba...a Zimbabwean style marimba band based in Austin. if i had still been drinking, i would have been out in the isles dancin!

The Sankofa Center:


bits & pieces from the concert:

cinco de mayo

i celebrated in style by playing Loteria with my amigas. it was a wild night of food, beer and mispronounced spanish words. it was FANTASTICO!







Melanie was fabulous as usual! she even acted out el borracho.



Jasmine made a sassy pair of Loteria earrings for each mama as a Mother's Day gift. how sweet is that?!?!