Day 231

Color me passionate about life

Do you ever worry that you've lost your passion? I honestly can't say that I've consciously thought about my passions lately. I've been so busy trying to figure me out, just in general, that I'm not sure I know what I'm passionate about. I wish that I could say that I have a life-long passion for X or the other thing, but I can't really put my finger on my passion any more. I'll have to think through that in writing here. I wouldn't go as far as to say I've lost my passion, but I think I've been neglectful of my passion and it may have simply walked away from me out of disappointment.

Life has a way of shaking you up and making you rethink your goals. What are Nancy's goals? I guess it's time for me to put my money where my mouth is and list my goals; short and long-term for the world to see. Besides, who doesn't love a good list? (Wait! Is that a passion I hear calling my name??) Don't worry, the list will be short. I will get to that in a minute, but first let me just say this about goals and passions. Everyone has them. Some are grand and exciting and some are more calm and maybe even mundane. I'm not here to judge. All I want to do is share and maybe rekindle some passions I've had over the years. Who knows! Maybe I'll learning something new about myself.

Nancy's Goals List

Short-Term (this year)

My short-term goals are simple:

1. Complete as many of the 52 Things list items as possible.
2. Get healthy and stop making myself sick with food.
3. Discover an exercise routine that I can really enjoy and be involved in, daily.
4. Be a successful and useful employee to my company.
5. Show the people around me that I love them and that they are the world to me.

Long-Term (Forever)

1. Be a good steward of whatever wealth God brings into my life.
2. Make sure I've prepared properly for the day when I no longer wish to earn an income in the conventional way that I always have.
3. Be a smart, loving and good parent.
4. See my son properly educated and happy in the life of his own design.
5. Vanquish cancer.
6. Take good care of myself and anyone who is in my care.

When I read through my list of goals, I think about how others probably have more specific things outlined for themselves. I do have some specific goals that are inappropriate to share. For instance, I have a figure that I want to have in savings for when I retire. That amount is on a need-to-know basis and you don't need to know that. Out of all the goals I have in life, only a couple of them involve money. I'm not a wealthy person. I did not grow up in a wealthy family. My parents, bless their hearts, were impossible money managers. My father's nick name given to him by some business men he knew was "Easy Money." I cringed the first time I heard a man call him that. His head was completely filled with easy and quick riches. Sadly, he died at the age of 50, penniless. My mother was hopelessly unrealistic about money and how to manage it. She returned to work when I was 9 years old and to me she never seemed to get that although the work she did outside the home was important, if she didn't manage the resulting funds well, it was quite literally, a waste of time! I learned NOTHING of importance about financial responsibility from them; other than what not to do. So, don't be surprised that I'm very cautious about money and the management of it. I've had times in my life when I had money and times of very meager means. Having money was clearly easier, but I have always been happy, regardless of my financial situation. So, no, I don't have to have money to be happy, but it is nicer when you don't have to be concerned about it either.

But what about passion? Where in all this is the passion of life. Well, that's a really good question! I do have passion about some things. First of all, I have passion for my little family. I want, very much, for the members of my family to be happy in their lives. I am an encourager in this life. That is one of the talents that God gave to me; the ability to freely give encouragement. I'm good at discerning when that encouragement is needed. Again, I believe that the gift is given by God and I'm thankful I have this ability. It is not only a passion, I'm compelled to encourage people. Next, I'm a problem solver. When people ask me what I do for my company I usually say, "I solve problems and encourage people." It's the truth!! My title makes people open their eyes wide and say things like, "What's that?" or "They pay people to do that?" So, I have a natural passion for solving problems of all kinds. I have a passion for all kinds of art. I am a creative person and I love being able to express myself with my art. I've done nail art, makeup, sketch drawing and writing. I'm not very good at any of it, but I love it all! I love to cook for people who love to eat. The only problem with that is I too, love to eat...which is bad...so I can't cook...too much...really. I have a passion for making films. In the end, if I was going to have to choose a passion to get more involve with I'd have to say...I don't know. For now until my son is safely grown my passion is he and his father. They truly deserve all of my passion.

So, that was a long blog about nothing of interest to you, perhaps. I made a list and melted down a little about goals and passions, but in the end I do know what my true passion in life is. Maybe other real people don't have to do all this writing to find their passion, but this is simply who I am. Now it's time for me to find my way to bed. Have a lovely evening! Until tomorrow, when I'll share the news from my bi-annual cancer check-up, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Days 223 - 230

I can't believe how fast the time seems to be passing. Within the course of less than a year, I've lost weight, gained it back and gone Vegan. There is more to say on the subject of being Vegan, but first I want to share a bit about Office Essentials this week. I'm keeping it simple this week again with just lipstick, lip

Pretty lips and a powdered nose!

gloss, powder foundation (for touch-ups) and hand cream. The lip products are from BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie line. The lipstick is in the shade Speak Your Mind. A lovely pink that is quite close to the tone of my own lips. The gloss is in the shade Spark Plug, which is very similar in color of the lipstick. These were both items included in a value sample kit purchased at Sephora late last year. The powder foundation is a sample of Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Foundation Powder in shade #04. I purchased a full size of the powder as I found the sample to be a perfect match for me, color wise anyway and I loved the finish of the powder foundation. The sample is such a nice one and it is very easy to tote! I use the full size at home and keep the sample tucked neatly into a small make-up tool kit I carry in my handbag. The hand cream is from L'Occitane; Shea Butter Hand Cream. The mirror is my favorite from the Hello Kitty Wild Thing line. This week the focus is on simple beauty.

Okay, so about being Vegan...yes, I'm still holding onto my goal. I really do believe that eating this way is helping me. Gone is the stomach pain I had trying to digest meat, but I am missing cheese more than you can imagine. I'm going to keep going as I am for now. But that cheese in the refrigerator is calling my name...I'd love to eat some, but then I wouldn't. I'll see how long I can keep it going!

I did learn that there are a couple of things I don't like:

1. Vegan cheese is just nasty and if you are trying to simulate cheese, stop it...stop it right now and just have some real cheese, please!
2. Fake meat is kind of like the cheese. If you miss meat so much, please just eat it.
3. I don't really like the label: Vegan. I think it is limiting and I'm not in this to wave a flag around!
4. I am hungry...all the time now. I find that I have to eat lots more frequently to keep from passing out!
5. I thought that Vegan would equal healthy and that just isn't the case. You still have to pay close attention to what you're eating. There is just no substitute for a focused, balanced diet.

So, for me, I won't call myself a Vegan. My label is Nancy, HumbleVoyager or even HV! Here is how I'm going to describe my diet:

I Eat Food; the kind my grandmother would recognize as food

Not too much

Mostly plants

That's the crux of it! I refuse to be labeled. I am my own woman and I eat what I want. I don't happen to want to eat cheese or meat at the moment and I might look like I'm a Vegan, but really I don't want to be tagged as such. It's good to keep learning about yourself! I would have never dreamed that I would have such a negative reaction to a label and the life limitations it presents.

Well, that's it for this time span.  It's been days, but trying to figure out what to eat and how to eat it take lots of time and energy. For now, I'm eating a plant strong diet and I'll be taking the cheese and eggs thing one day at a time. Thanks for stopping by and checking in. So, until tomorrow when I'll share more about life with Nancy, Godspeed, Voyagers!

Day 222

Someone told me today that I'm not a good Vegan if I use makeup that was tested on animals. I had to ask it, "They (whomever they are) test cosmetics on animals?" I have yet to see a squirrel sporting the latest eyeshadow, but after a little research I find they (there they are again...who are these fiends?) do far worse things than make the poor creatures wear the makeup. No, I'm not a Vegan because of animal cruelty. Unless you call the pain I endured trying to digest meat cruelty, but I LOVE animals and my heart breaks for mistreated creatures of any kind. So, now I have to investigate all the makeup brands I'm using and see who is testing on animals. I'm very afraid heads are going to roll! I'll keep you informed!! In just the short research I've done I find that a couple of my favorite brands/products are indeed tested on animals. I think this is the same as with cigarettes. It won't stop unless people just say, "No!" Well, I'm saying, "NO!!" I don't want products that are tested on animals and that's that! I have a big shopping day coming up. I'll be checking the list before I make purchases. All you companies out there actively testing on animals, be warned. I've got my radar going and I'm keeping my eyes on you and you'll not get another dime of my money unless you stop that practice! (Hands on hips!!! I bet they are all scared now!)

I should probably show you my office essentials today, but I didn't take a snap of them on my signature calendar desk pad, so I'll do that for you tomorrow. I'm sure the essentials will be similar to what I used today. You didn't miss much. I was so upset by my flagrant over stash of lip products yesterday, I played it light today. I'm not sure about the foundation that I used, but it may be from a company that does the dastardly deed with animals. I don't know what I'm going to do with all of the products that I'm going to have to get rid of, but I'm thinking they are going to go into an art project that I'll sell and donate the proceeds to fight animal cruelty. Who knows!!

Now it's time for me to finish my evening and get some rest. So, until tomorrow when I'll share my office essentials and you can rate my work to be cruelty-free, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 221

Milani Rose Hip lipstick! Pretty!!

What a lovely Monday! It may not have been so for everyone, but it was great for me. I got the things  done that were important to me and was able to look out the window briefly and see the day. Maybe not as great as being able to go out and actually experience the day, but I did appreciate it all the same.

So, is there something wrong with a woman who reaches her hand into her purse and pulls out 13 lip products? I mean seriously! I think I may have a lip product issue here on my end. Okay, so I really like to have an assortment of options, but I carry a smallish handbag and lately I've been thinking, "Why is there no room in here for my multiple cell phones and such?" Yes, I carry two (2) cell phones. One is personal and the other is work related. Per company policy I can't use the work phone for more than 20% of the calls made, so in order to be compliant and know I'm being compliant, I must have my own phone. Thus, I carry two cell phones. Anyway, back to the lip product problem. When I needed to touch-up my lips today here is what I found lurking in my handbag:

How many lip products in your handbag would be considered enough?

From left to right - 2 Josie Maran Argan Color Sticks in the colors Coral and Beautiful, 1 NYX Butter Lipstick in Sugar Wafer, 1 Urban Decay lipstick in Lovelight, 1 Revlon Super Lustrous Shine lipstick in Pink Cognito, 1 Milani lipstick in Orange Gina, 1 Milani lipstick in Rose Hip, 1 NYX lipstick in Pure Nude, 1 Buxom lip gloss in (I think) Leslie, 1 NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brûlée, 1 Revlon Lip Gloss in Sugar Violet, 1 Nars Lip Gloss in Bare Pink and across the top a very old tube of Wet n' Wild clear lip gloss! Now, the real question is, "Do I have enough?" Oh, wait a minute! You probably thought the question might be something like, "Is she crazy?" No, I'm not and yes, I think this is enough. Okay, I'll concede that it is probably too much, but only because my handbag is small.

The Vegan-ness continues and I'm learning new things all the time. The Eggless Egg Salad was GREAT! I'm looking forward to another sandwich of it tomorrow for lunch. I think it would be great with soup, but I don't have any Vegan soup available so it will probably be eaten with chips again. One thing I might do is include a posting each week of something that I find is Surprisingly Vegan! Today, that would be Baco-s! Did you know that Baco-s are Vegan? Well, they are. I didn't say that they are all natural, but they are crunchy and have a taste a little like bacon, so I'm excited! Soy beans are wonderful!

Okay, so that's it for today. I'm really tired and have a bit of a headache, so it's time to remove my makeup and hit the sack. I've promised myself that I would take 12 of the 13 lip products back to my makeup table on the way to bed tonight. Tomorrow I'm sure at least one will make its way back to my handbag. I love being a girl! So, until tomorrow when something new will be learned and shared, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 220

Sunday is just about the best day of the week for me. Some people love Friday because it ends the work week, but I love Sunday. It's the one day each week that I do not leave home unless I have to. For instance, I've adjusted my trips to see my sister to end on Saturdays from now on, just so I can be home Saturday night and therefore, not have to be away on Sunday. I may not always be successful, but I have my goals.

Lemony Eggless Egg Salad (Vegan and made by ME!!)

Today my focus was on creating a good eggless Egg Salad for some great sandwiches in the week ahead. I think I did a pretty good job using the recipe Lemony Eggless Egg Salad from thekitchn.com.  The salad turned out good and I'm looking forward to having it for lunch at least Monday and Tuesday this week. The plan is to have the sandwich, chips and an orange for lunch each day. Snack on Monday will be Guacamole and baked corn chips. Breakfast continues to be Oatmeal with Golden Raisins and Walnuts, while dinner is a surprise!

Since I'm visiting my sister this week, I have an additional challenge of what to take with me to eat during that trip. The nice thing about this trip is I'm staying at a hotel that has microwaves and refrigerators in the guest rooms. This means I can travel with some items and that I really don't have to worry about the availability of appropriate food. I know that we're planning to eat at a Vegan restaurant for lunch on Friday, but I will need something on hand for Friday night. I'll have Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, chips and fruit and that will do for Friday night. Planning ahead is what will help me be successful in the end.

The day has been a great restful one. I'm now off to fold clothes and get ready for the weekly television event that is Downton Abbey. I love that show and I can't wait to see what's up this week. Thanks for stopping by and checking in. Try the eggless egg salad soon! It really is a winner! Until next time when I'll share more about life as a Vegan, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Days 210 through 219

Ten days of no writing and I've enjoyed the vacation. Although I love to write, I don't ever want to be one of those people who just writes anything in order to accomplish a task. In fact, I like to attack all assignments with purpose. For example, walking is really a great activity, but I struggle unless I'm walking with purpose. So, while others might like to take a walk after dinner to simply enjoy the night air, I'm much more capable of enjoying a walk if it's to the local news agent for a copy of the evening paper. Sometimes my purpose is just to rest.

The past 10 days have been devoted to learning as much as I can about how to be a healthy vegan. I've checked out four cook books from my local library:

"The Inspired Vegan" by Bryant Terry

"Vegan Diner" by Julie Hasson

"Big Vegan by Robin" Asbell with photographs by Kate Sears

"Vegan Eats World" by Terry Hope Romero

I've always thought of myself as a good home cook, but now I have to learn to be a healthy home cook. It isn't easy, but it will be worth it. I'm actually not finding it difficult to eat a vegan diet. What I was hoping is that it would be just as easy to shop and prepare vegan meals. For the most part I do believe that it is a matter of learning some good tricks and how new products like tofu and non-dairy milk perform. I hope that the books above are going to help me!

For the time being, I'm eating very simply and my goal is to add two new recipes each week. Last week I made Vegan Lasagna. It was really good, but it made too much. My family is not wild about leftovers, so besides learning to veganize foods, I have to also make sure I don't prepare too much at any one time. Although I can usually read a recipe and know by the ingredients that it will be good or not, I'm not always a good judge of whether it will be too much food or not. Practice will make more perfect.

There is great creativity required in putting together a new and healthy lifestyle. My goals are simple and I'm convinced that if I'm able to keep them this way I'll be successful, one small step at a time. At the moment, it really is all about the food and eating. I really want to get to the point where I don't think twice about ingredients that are not vegan.

So, that's the update from my neck of the woods. It's getting close to time for supper and I would like to enjoy some quiet entertainment for the evening. Until tomorrow (or whenever I know I have something to say) Godspeed, Voyagers!!

The gift of a dozen roses from my husband and son on Valentine's Day, 2014

Days 208 and 209

The world spins on while Nancy reads. I am one greatly distracted person when it comes to pretty words on a tempting page (be it physical or virtual). If you're scratching your head, that's okay. I simply mean that time slips swiftly away from me when there is something nice to read and there is always something nice to read. I may need to cook meals, handle laundry, solve work problems or take care of myself, but if there is something fun to read, all of that somehow dissolves into obscurity. Man! I love me a good read.

This week I'm somewhat off my routine, as I'm very focused on getting it right as a new Vegan. Vegan-ology is tough when you've been an omnivore most of your life. Although there are lots of "Vegan Friendly" foods out there, much of what is available is processed in some way. That means we Vegans have to be big time readers. Also, these food processors are sneaky and keep sticking things in their products that don't sound off-limits, but really are milk/meat/egg derivatives. What? The food industry is trying to pull a fast-one on us!??!  Really???? Okay, that was me kind of being, "Duh!" about the food industry. Yes, they are always trying to put something over on us! If they aren't hiding sugar in the spaghetti sauce, they are sticking milk derivatives in bread where it isn't even necessary! So, while everyone else is blogging about their great life, I'm over here reading label, after label, after label...well, you get the picture. Mind you, I'm not upset. "Bring on your worst, Mr. Food Industry!! I'm an eternal optimist with BIG plans, baby! And I can take whatever you throw at me!!" Except maybe sugar, milk, eggs, meat...

That was really me making lots of noise so people wouldn't notice that I didn't give you any news about the list of 52 Things this week or an update on Office Essentials or etc. This week if it's not about being Vegan, it probably isn't going to be in here. I really feel good about this decision and I've got lots to learn, so pardon me while I read! So, until tomorrow when I'll share something new about being Vegan, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Days 204, 205, 206 and 207

Vegan? Really?? Really!!

Wow! I've had a mini sabbatical and it was great! Three days off, but I've been busy, because as of day 205, I am officially a Vegan. You read me right! I'm a full-fledged, card carrying (okay not really since I don't think there are cards available and if there are, I want one!) Vegan. Not because I love animals so much, although I do,  but because it is the healthiest way to eat and I know it is and I'm incredibly stupid if I don't make the change now to a super-charged plant based diet. So...I'm here...I'm Vegan...deal with it!!

For the next couple of weeks, I'm working on learning what makes sense to my diet and what things are out there to help me along the way. To me, it's simple: If there are meat products in the ingredient list, the food item is out! I have to be a bit more conscious about food for a while until I learn the ropes, but every bit of the research I've read says that cancer is tied to meat and meat based products consumption and I NEVER want cancer in my life again. Also, I have a son that I want to be healthy and he is going to be a Vegan, too! Yea for support at home!! I love it!! I am the cold-turkey kind of girl. As of Saturday, I no longer eat meat or meat products. Simple and enough said.

Before I get into my Nuggets from Nancy (for this is Monday, you know) I wanted to share an experience that I've had recently with ELF (eyeslipsface.com). Now this is a personal experience and may not be the same for everyone, but I think it's good to know what others have gone through. So, if you're looking for information before you make your first order on eyeslipsface.com, here is what I am going through. I like many of the ELF products and usually purchase them at Target.  But recently one of my favorite YouTubers was raving about new products that are available only online (since my Target never has any of them). So, I made an order online and waited patiently for the items to arrive. When the big box got here 11 days later, I was so excited! It was like Christmas!! I do like many of their products and wanted to try some new things. As I went through the box I noticed that two items were circled on the packing list and were not included in the order. The bottom of the receipt said that these items were out of stock and that they were deducted from my total before the order was shipped. I checked my credit card and no, the items were not deducted from the total. So, I emailed them and they emailed back, very quickly, that they were sorry and were shipping the two items out immediately.  Great!! I waited 11 more days for the package to get here and it got here today. Minus one of the items. Again, the packing receipt shows that one item is out of stock but they say I was not charged for it. However, I was charged the first time around. I have now asked for an immediate credit for the item. I am no longer interested in the item and I will not order from them again. I have shopped successfully online with many other companies. Although ELF has been quick to respond, they have not followed through as promised and I cannot trust them, so they will not get another online order from me. I will continue to purchase products from Target, but no more online ordering with these guys. If you've already ordered from them, please check your charge and make certain it was correct, especially if items were not delivered. Buyer beware!

So, here are my Nuggets for this Monday, Day 207:

• The best way to lose a customer is to fail to do as you promise.
• Have you ever noticed how happy people are naturally more attractive?
• I read that if you keep your total cholesterol under 198 in your 40's, you'll be 50% less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those with a score of over 249. Interesting!!
• Another fact read in the Prevention magazine:  Regular cardio can slow your body's aging process by up to 12 years. Okay, count me in!
• Laughing is reported to boost immunity, improve mood, ease aches, relieve stress and improve personal outlook. It also just feels really good to laugh! Try it!!

Okay, so that's it for today. Yes, I'm a firm believer in laughter and I do it every day. Much like stretching in the morning, a good chuckle at something (usually myself) is always part of my day. Even when I don't feel great there is usually something to laugh about. You know...like when you experience the guy in the fancy car who drives like a maniac to get past you when you're driving the speed limit...and then you pass him later as he is pulled over on the side of the road by the Texas State Highway patrol where he's getting his latest speeding/reckless driving ticket!  That one always makes me laugh big!!  So, until the next time I write, find something to laugh at in a big way today and Godspeed, Voyagers!!