MauldenNews March - April 2014

Hello All!

We've had a very nice spring this year - in fact, I heard on the news that this has been the second warmest spring on record for our little valley here. For some reason, our emperor tulips did not come out until April - usually they are smiling up at me in March. But I'm glad they made it!

I've thoroughly enjoyed the absence of snow - though I have felt the pain of my friends and family elsewhere who have been pummeled by it this year. Let's hope we're really through the worst of it!

In March I had the good fortune to run the Canyonlands Half with some buddies - it was beautiful, sunny, wild and windy. I lost about a minute off my time retrieving my hat that blew off into a small ravine. Still, I was completely satisfied with my 2:18 and my "power disc" medal.

Tammy and I dined with our daughters for our birthday on March 8. Here they are displaying their genioglossus muscles.

Sam turned 8 on April 15. We had a fun party at the indoor pool and Splash Zone and a little family celebration at home. We all had blue mouths for awhile after this cake.

"COOL! This is JUST what I WANTED!!!" (a Power Rangers MegaZord, in case you didn't know)

Easter weekend was eventful - egg dyeing on Friday, birthday party on Saturday, egg hunt on Sunday morning, and...

Sam's baptism! Easter Sunday, April 21, 2014.

Then we took off for Spring Break adventures in Moab, Arches, and Mesa Verde. The highlight of our trip to Arches was Alle's first live lizard capture. I knew their tails could detach. What I didn't know was that the tail keeps moving all by itself for quite a while after separation from the lizard! Freaky to see.

"Mom, can we take him home? Pleeeeeease?"

Papa and Sam with "the Mitten"

Practicing the art of cairn creation

A suspicion of strep throat led us on a detour to Moab Regional Hospital, where Alle got a culture. It wasn't strep, but it did grow Moraxella catarrhalis and another unidentified bug so she got antibiotics. She didn't let it slow her down. We visited the Moab Rock Shop, where she and Sam got free dinosaur bones and we all enjoyed browsing the interesting gemstones and other oddities. We also toured "Hole in the Rock", an old diner and home blasted into the rock by a miner in the 1950s. Then we got sucked into the little zoo and Alle ended up riding a camel named Luke. I hope she didn't cough too much on the animals.

Mesa Verde was AWESOME.  Bryan and I marveled at the ruins while the kids climbed rocks and sought out bugs and lizards.

Sam's new porcupine puppets: Cutie and Porky Junior

Alle with Proud, her Eagle puppet. Proud likes to hunt Porky Junior.

Desert blooms

We stopped at a winery for a tasting. Kids said "No fair, this is only for the grownups!" Exactly.

Lamb crossing

Hovenweep National Monument - the Castle

Final notes - these are mainly for myself but free for anyone who thinks they may visit this area again -

Good marks for Moab Valley Inn, Moab Brewery, and Best Western Turquoise in Cortez. Far View Lodge (inside Mesa Verde) was OK but not worth the price. I would go back to the Moab Rock Shop, but not to the Hole in the Rock (once was enough). The Pepperhead in Cortez had great food and was family friendly and well worth the money.

Noi mai si gatim: supa crema de midii

Prin multele calatorii am descoperit supa crema de midii, dar si cea mai delicioasa reteta pentru ea, cea de la Dalboka Mussel Farm din Bulgaria. Acum sincera sa fiu am recreat reteta cam dupa ureche, dar cred ca este destul de aproape. Mai am o reteta, dar in ultima vreme o prefer pe cea de mai jos.

Imi spuneti si voi, daca incercati reteta si ati fost si la Dalboka cat de apropiate sunt. Eu cred ca este delicioasa si destul de simplu de facut, indraznesc sa zic, la fel ca orice supa crema :).

Am vazut ca majoritatea retetelor pentru supa crema de midii nu implica o pregatire deosebita a lor inainte de supa propriu-zisa. Mie imi place sa le calesc un pic cu ulei de masline si usturoi, soia, ghimbir,oregano, sos de soia sau oyster sauce daca aveti. Asa prind si midiile decongelate un gust mai special. Apoi adaug apa, puteti pune si vin daca aveti, si le las sa fiarba un pic. Scoateti midiile si pastrati sosul ramas.

Al doilea pas este calirea cepei. Eu pun mai intai un pic de ghimbir, cardamom si nucsoara si las un pic sa se caleasca, apoi adaug ceapa pe care nu o las sa se topeasca de tot, doar cat sa prinda culoare si dulceata. Adaug morcovul, pastarnacul si telina, le las si pe acestea sa se caleasca un pic si apoi adaug sosul ramas de la calirea midiilor. Mai completati cu apa daca e cazul, atat cat va doriti sa fie de subtire supa crema. Cartofii se adauga si ei in scurt timp si incercati din cand in cand legumele sa vedeti cat sunt de fierte. Mie nu imi plac foarte moi de exemplu. Cand sunt suficient de fierte, opriti focul, lasati un pic sa se raceasca si dati drumul la blender. Pasati legumele bine, mai adaugati sare daca vreti, apoi opriti blenderul adaugati midiile. In farfurii adaugati si cateva frunzulite de patrunjel.

Mai am o reteta de supa crema de midii pe care vreau sa o incerc, implica curry, o gasiti aici

Floarea soarelui de hartie brosa

Stiu ca e abia martie. Dar inspirata de soarele din ultimele zile (si recunosc si de Plants vs Zombies 2) am facut cele mai dragute floarea soarelui din hartie. Sunt foarte usoare si subtiri, au cam 5 cm in diametru si sunt adorabile. Primele trei poarta ac de brosa ca sa fie luate la purtator. Dar se potrivesc perfect si ca marturii la o nunta de vara (cu magnet pe spate) sau decoratiuni pentru invitatiile de nunta. Promit sa revin cu fotografii mai bune :) si cu un tutorial pentru fanii DIY.

Comanda-le sau cere mai multe detalii despre brosele sau marturiile floarea soarelui la circulmagicshop@gmail.com

Spellbound-Alfred Hitchcock(Full Movie)

Si ultima comanda.

 Sa aveti  o primavara frumoasa.

Astazi a plecat ultima comanda de martisoare Circul Magic pentru 2014. Va multumesc tuturor pentru cuvintele frumoase si pentru ca ati ales sa bucurati femeile din viata voastra cu martisoarele mele. Va doresc o primavara minunata.

Pregatiri de 1 martie: etichete

Una dintre cele mai migaloase etape in pregatirile mele pentru 1 martie sunt etichetele. Imi place sa le pigulesc si sa ma joc cu ele pana cand ajung la o forma draga. Anul acesta am vrut sa transmit si mai mult din bucuria pe care mi-o aduce venirea primaverii si am creat o stampila cu textul 1 Martie Frumos. Cum vi se pare?

 Apropo ai vazut iile de hartie? La inceput le purtau doar ghioceii, anul acesta nu am putut rezista si au primit si florile brosa hainute de sarbatoare cusute la masina.

Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, High Society

Martisoare cu flori naturale presate

La inceputul lunii m-am mutat in casa noua, lucru care a implicat si o curatenie generala, inclusiv in biblioteca. Am descoperit culegeri de matematica si chimie pe care uitasem ca le aveam, ca sa nu mai zic si de ce. Pana cand, din greseala, am scapat una dintre carti din care au cazut cateva flori presate. Mi-au stat in biblioteca cam 2 ani. Le-am adunat din gradina bunicii, dornica sa le pastrez frumusetea si sa o redescopar peste ani, intocmai ca ierbarul pe care il tineam in copilarie.


 Anul acesta pleaca sa infrumuseteze inceputul de primavara al femeilor importante din viata voastra. 

Le comanzi la circulmagicshop@gmail.com. Stocul este limitat. Promit sa ma pregatesc mai bine la anul :)

Don't be yourself

"Don't be yourself. Be someone a little nicer." -Mignon McLaughlin, journalist and author (1913-1983) 

Lately I've been struggling with the snappy part of my self. The part that is irritated by Every. Little. Thing.  God's wisdom and sense of humor has decided I shall live with three people who are wonderful and gifted and I love them just the way they are...but who have less need than I for order, organization, cleanliness, solitude, and peace. 

Maybe I was born this way, needing these things, and didn't get them enough in my childhood because of the eleven other kids and their friends with whom I shared a house. I grew up in a stable loving home that was also filled with mess, disorganization, clutter, noise and chaos. My response was to feel horribly anxious and retreat whenever possible. I came by it honestly - my dad actually built a separate room for himself as his means of escape, and I can totally understand that. I still grit my teeth through every kids' birthday party and can honestly agree sometimes with whoever said "Hell is other people." 

But my irritability can be a problem. I'm not proud of my tendency to yell and criticize. Last year I practiced "complaint free living" by wearing a bracelet to help me increase awareness and refrain from complaining, criticizing, or gossiping. It took me 8+ months to go 21 consecutive days without moving the bracelet. I'm realizing that, sadly, the good habits I tried to "re-wire" into my brain have not lasted. I think maybe I'm a little better than before, but I need to get the bracelet back on.

Anyway, I saw this quote (don't be yourself) and it reminds me to keep practicing my patience and tolerance skills. 

I also like this response to all the "positive psychology" messages out there. You know, all those messages that tell us how great we are all the time. I like that this message frees us to admit we're not so great, but that we can do better.

Future of StoryTelling: Paul Zak or How a Story Changes Your Brain Chemistry

Daruieste dragoste: brosa quilling inima

"Dragostea consta in dorinta de a da ceea ce este al tau altuia si de a simti fericirea acestuia ca si cum ar fi a ta. - Emanuel Swdenborg"

Brosa quilling inima
dimensiuni: 2 cm
Pret: 2 ron



Comanda la circulmagicshop@gmail.com

Martisoare quilling: floare cu ac de brosa

Tufanici: martisor floare cu ac de brosa

Mandrutelor, primavara aceasta purtati iar martisoare handmade <3 V-am pregatit cele mai dragute martisoare quilling, din flori de hartie, cu ac de brosa si snurulet in 4 culori: rosu cu alb, albastru inchis cu alb, albastru deschis cu galben, roz deschis cu galben.

Toate martisoarele sunt imbracate in haine de sarbatoare, fiind asezate pe ii de hartie cusute la masina si protejate de o cutiuta de plastic transparent.

Un martisor quilling tufanica floare cu ac de brosa costa 2 ron.
Trimite comanda ta la circulmagicshop@gmail.com.

Tufanici: martisor floare cu ac de brosa

Tufanici: martisor floare cu ac de brosa

Descopera martisoarele pentru primavara 2015

Povestea iilor de hartie continua

Anul trecut am descoperit o noua utilitate pentru masina de cusut, si rezultatul este atat de adorabil ca am hotarat ca povestea iilor de hartie continua si in acest an. Pregatirile de martisor sunt in toi, iar ghioceii sunt primii care au imbracat iile de hartie. Pana la 1 martie, toti vor fi gata de sarbatoare.

Teaser: martisoare quilling fluturi

Si ce daca afara sunt munti de zapada? Asta nu inseamna ca fluturii nu pot zbura. La Circul Magic se pregatesc de primul zbor programat pentru 1 martie.

January 2014 - Practicing Joy

For a few months now, our family has been trying to follow a "practice of the month." In November we practiced Gratitude, and in December we practiced Giving. I got the idea from a group at our church last year that was focusing on practicing compassion, and I wanted to try it as a way of integrating those practices and values that are important to me into our daily life.

I bought a glass vase and a bunch of colored glass beads. When we remember to do it, which is often only a couple of times a week, we talk about our "practice" around the table. When we think of an example of the practice, either something we did or saw someone else do, we name it and put a bead in the jar. At the end of the month, if the jar is full, we get to go do something fun. It's led to some good conversations, and sometimes it's been helpful to get us out of the rut of complaining and snipping at each other.

So January was the month to practice Joy. I chose Joy because, let's face it, January can be cold, dark, long, and dreary. The kids did not adjust well to going back to school after the Christmas break. Bryan's mood tends to go down in the season of short days. I'm not crazy about the cold or the air pollution. So I was somewhat skeptical about our ability to put Joy into practice. In general, I'm not a big fan of "positive thinking" as a self-help ploy...even if it works, it frequently feels false to me. But I do think that joy is a choice - and an important one to make often - and so I gritted my teeth and committed to exercise my joy muscle this month.

Surprisingly, it's actually worked pretty well. Part of my approach was to try to incorporate more play into the daily grind. I'm not naturally very playful as an adult, unfortunately for my kids, and I wasn't even very playful as a child. So I tried the Jerry Seinfeld idea of doing "opposite day" - if I didn't feel playful, I played. If my kids were annoying me, I made myself respond playfully and tried to turn things into a game or a joke. "Act as if." "Fake it to make it." I didn't do it consistently, but when I did, it helped.

The other place I found joy this month - believe it or not - has been the laundry. First, when you really stop to think about it, our way of doing laundry should always evoke gratitude. When's the last time you washed all your clothes by hand, or scrubbed them against a washboard, or a rock in a river as the majority of humans have done for a great long time? In the spirit of being mindful, I took to noticing the multisensory experience brought to me by my laundry. Compared to the clothes most humans have worn through most of history, don't we have amazingly soft, comfortable fabrics? beautiful designs? rich colors?

My sister-in-law Grace gave me the gift once of telling me how she did her laundry. When folding my brother's clothes, she focused on her love for my brother. She remembered the time before she met him when she prayed to meet someone to love. OK, I admit, this is overly sentimental and totally hokey! But today when I folded the laundry, I held a few clean, warm, soft shirts to my face and breathed in gratitude for the husband and children in my life.

And finally, when I clean out the lint screen these days, I get an extra hit of joy. Why would dryer lint give me joy? Because my 9-year-old daughter has taken to collecting it. Every time I give her a big lint ball she breaks into a smile and makes a happy "ooh!".

January is almost over, and I'm not sad about that. But thanks to this month's Joy practice, I can honestly say it's been one of my better Januarys in recent memory.

Inspirational: Potoo, pasarea cu ochii mari din America de Sud

Ok. Nu e tocmai genul de inspirational pe care vi l-am propus pana acum. Dar serios. Pasarea asta este senzationala. Am descoperit-o recent, dupa ce un colaj a inceput sa devina viral pe Facebook. Parea atat de ireala incat m-am gandit ca trebuie sa fie unul dintre multele fake-uri care umbla pe net. Dar nu. Exista. Pasarea asta misterioasa si ciudatica se numeste Potoo si sunt 7 specii diferite (Great Potoo - Nyctibius grandis, Long-tailed Potoo - Nyctibius aethereus, Northern Potoo - Nyctibius jamaicensis, Andean Potoo - Nyctibius maculosus, Common Potoo - Nyctibius griseus, White-winged Potoo - Nyctibius leucopterus, Rufous Potoo - Nyctibius bracteatus) care traiesc in America de Sud. 

Nu cresc mai mari de 21–58 cm si sunt in acelasi timp tare ciudatele dar si tare dragalase. Fiind pasari nocturne, ziua si-o petrec dormind in copaci profitand de penajul care le ajuta sa se camufleze. Devin active dupa apus si se folosesc de ochii neobisnuit de mari pentru a-si vedea prada si pentru a-i baga in sperieti pe cei neobisnuiti cu creaturile exotice ale junglei.

Ah, si inca un lucru. Pe langa faptul ca arata de parca sunt recuzita dintr-un film de groaza, scot si niste sunete foarte neasteptate pentru o pasare, mai degraba pentru un dinozaur.

Ishome - Confession [ Album preview ]

I wrote this for our Galloway Group's new website, which includes a blog for runners. Thought I'd post here as well. I started running in 2010, and it has done so much for me. Still can't believe I do this! 

Running, the Brain, and Joy

My story is similar to the others posted here - I NEVER thought I would enjoy exercise, least of all RUNNING! Growing up, my favorite activity was curling up with a good book and moving my eyes left to right for hours on end. My brothers played soccer and my sisters did ballet, but I was too incoordinated and unmotivated to enjoy any sport on a regular basis. (I still cannot do step aerobics to save my life.) I also learned to fear ball sports after being injured while made to play with bigger-stronger-faster kids. When I biked or ran with kids my age, they all just left me in the dust. Years later I would find out more about why...keep reading...

When I took swim lessons, I saw that other kids could somehow float, but I sank to the bottom like a stone. I did learn to ski, but was slower than my friends in passing each level, which meant I watched them take off for the big hill while I stayed behind. In middle school, I was effectively trained to HATE the mile by our PE teachers, who required us to run it in a certain time - conveniently ignoring that we all had different bodies with different abilities. (I would love to go back with a heart rate monitor and be graded on EFFORT rather than an arbitrary time cutoff.)  In high school, I even developed exercise-induced urticaria, which meant I broke out in big red blotchy itchy hives after each run. 

So I did what any self-respecting clumsy short person would do - I developed my brain rather than my body. I played violin and piano and did well in school. The culture and my parents rewarded me for this, even if I was still pretty much a nerd among my peers. I made friends with other musicians and smart kids and we focused on getting into college and pursuing our careers. For years I ignored my body. My body basically existed to house my brain, which was where I lived. I did exercise half-heartedly to keep from gaining weight, but I sure didn't enjoy it or look forward to it. It was like eating my veggies - I knew it was good for me, but I wouldn't do it of my own accord.

Well, my brain took me to medical school, where I continued to stuff it with learning and facts. Despite my lack of interest in (and time for) fitness, two experiences there were significant. First, I was part of the "code" team at LDS Hospital. If someone started to die, the code pager went off and the code team dropped whatever we were doing and raced for the patient. One day we were in the basement looking at pathology slides and the code pager summoned us to the 8th floor ICU. Taking the elevator was out of the question - this was a true life-or-death emergency! The code team charged up the stairs. The rest of the team surged ahead as I painfully tried to run up the 7 flights of stairs. By the time I made it to the 8th floor they were out of sight. Sweaty and panting, I eventually rejoined them. No one said anything, but of course I felt remorseful at my slowness. This was life or death - what if people were counting on me one day and I couldn't come through? And another thing - my colleagues were as busy and stressed and out of shape as I was (or more). Why could they zip up those stairs so much faster than I could? I was soon to find out!

Second experience: A few weeks later we were in the Pulmonology lab for a demonstration of inhalers and pulmonary function tests. We were invited to take the tests that patients take, and here comes my "aha!" moment - my tests showed that I had a significantly smaller lung capacity than expected for my age, gender, height and weight. I was off the chart. AHA!!! It wasn't major, and it didn't limit me in normal daily life, but it did explain why I seemed to be a Hufflepuff in a world full of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors (couldn't resist the Harry Potter reference, sorry). 

So...here I am now, running marathons and loving it! No one is more surprised at this than me. I can't explain what made me want to run, but not long after the big 4-0 I came across an article about the Galloway method and suddenly I thought, "I wonder how far I could run." I looked up the SLC Galloway group and the rest is history. The run-walk-run method just jives with me. It makes me feel GOOD! (unlike running continuously, which still makes me feel BAD even though I'm in better shape now). It may not be for everyone, but it unlocked my joy for bodily play, and I am much  more integrated - a body, a brain, and most importantly a SOUL that enjoys both the physical and mental aspects of life.