WARNING! THIS IS LONG, BUT I WOULD SURE LIKE YOUR INPUT.
Hi Friends,
Happy Monday. Today I want to pick your brain in an attempt to determine if I am normal. Okay, stop laughing. Normal, what is normal really? I am pretty sure I am not completely normal, but, I also do not think I am that far off of center. The subject is groceries and finances.
For those of my friends who are single, these numbers are going to seem astronomical, and those of you that shop for a family, you will see this is right in line with normal. The way I see it, if I spend $600 on a big grocery shop (big means we needed everything, meat, canned goods, staples, etc.) I expect that we will have enough food for all meals for a month. The only things we may need to buy are fresh vegetables, and breads as needed.
What I see happening in my family, is that there is such a strong desire for fast and easy, that no matter how much food is in the house, they still want to eat out. (I also think the addiction to the strong flavors of convenience foods play into this as well). It might be important to say that I queried this family about what they want to eat before I went shopping. We have cereal, yogurts, breakfast bars and fruit for breakfast. I also pre-make waffles and pancakes so they can just heat them up in the microwave or toaster. For lunch we have all kinds of sandwich stuff, salad fixings, fruit, and convenience accouterments like fruit cups, applesauce, crackers with peanut butter, and many other things like this. Dinners are planned, and not so much the issue.
Here is why all this is being discussed. The house is fully stocked with food from a big shop on Saturday. Sunday morning, Dave and Colton are leaving to go to a game tournament and as they are standing at the door, Dave makes the comment that he hopes everything will start on time. Colton chimes in, "If it doesn't, why don't we stop and get breakfast." I jumped in with the apparently insane idea that they eat breakfast now, at home! Dave said there was no time, so Colton grabbed a breakfast bar and off they went, planning to buy lunch out.
I do not have an issue with a day out for the boys, enjoying time together and having lunch out. What I do take issue with, is that we have worked really hard, all year, budgeting and watching our pennies. We just spent $595.00 stocking the house with anything you can imagine to eat, and they still are not eating it. Colton spends all of his weekly allowance on food from Taco Tree and the gas station. He needs to be saving money for snowboard gear, and he owes his mom $95. I am thinking, is it not responsible, and a bit on the selfish side to be eating out, and in turn, letting good, fresh food go to waste at home. Let me also mention that eating out includes energy drinks, snack food, and the like when you stop to get gas for the car.
Eating out is expensive. I would like to teach both of the boys (all three) that they could use their money in a far wiser fashion. So here is where I would like to know what you think. Do you think I am being obsessive about this? Or as Dave puts it, "You have issues." What have you done to try to tackle this issue with your family?
The reality is, as a mom, I care very much that my boys are eating as healthfully as I can provide for, and enforce. I also want them to have the other things in life that they want, and if they are piddling their money away two dollars, five dollars, and fifteen dollars at a time on convenience food, how will they ever achieve financial freedom? My best defense is that Oprah Winfrey, a gazillionaire, takes her lunch to work. She can afford to buy anything she wants, and understands the waste of money that eating out is.
SO, what do you think? Please reply to not only me, but to Dave as well. If you agree with him, and I need to lighten up, please, don't hold back!
Lots of love to all of you and have a great week!
Kathy
"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." George Washington
Monday, October 15, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
MM 10/08/2007
Happy Monday,almost Tuesday!
It is late, but I have good reason. My mom was visiting this weekend and just left early this afternoon. The last time my mom was here to visit was May, 2003 when we lived in Dutch Flat. This is the first time she has seen our house in Auburn and it was nice to have her here spending time with Mason. Well, spending time with us,too,but it is more important to me that Mason get to know and spend as much time as possible with his grandparents. We didn't go anywhere or make a big to-do about anything, we just stayed home and enjoyed each others company. Mom left today to visit with Aunt Jeannette in Hayward, before she makes a brief stop in Portland to see my brother, and then back home to Utah.
On Friday night we had a blast having dinner with Ken and Dahlynn. Dave went all out with a meal of homemade Caesar salad, tri-tip with a burgundy peppercorn sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus with cheese sauce, and fresh green beans and baby carrots. Dahlynn made a pumpkin pie and Ken baked cookies. As wonderful as that all sounds (and it was!), it was nothing compared to the good time we shared sitting around the table laughing and telling stories. Next month we will do it again at the McKowen homestead and I am sure we will have as much fun, and as many laughs!
Have a wonderful week and let me leave you with an empowering thought: You perceive the world through an obscure window of beliefs, interpretations, and associations. The world is therefore a reflection of your mind. As your mind clears, you perceive reality simply as it is. What does your experience of life reveal about your filters of perception?
Lots of love!
It is late, but I have good reason. My mom was visiting this weekend and just left early this afternoon. The last time my mom was here to visit was May, 2003 when we lived in Dutch Flat. This is the first time she has seen our house in Auburn and it was nice to have her here spending time with Mason. Well, spending time with us,too,but it is more important to me that Mason get to know and spend as much time as possible with his grandparents. We didn't go anywhere or make a big to-do about anything, we just stayed home and enjoyed each others company. Mom left today to visit with Aunt Jeannette in Hayward, before she makes a brief stop in Portland to see my brother, and then back home to Utah.
On Friday night we had a blast having dinner with Ken and Dahlynn. Dave went all out with a meal of homemade Caesar salad, tri-tip with a burgundy peppercorn sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus with cheese sauce, and fresh green beans and baby carrots. Dahlynn made a pumpkin pie and Ken baked cookies. As wonderful as that all sounds (and it was!), it was nothing compared to the good time we shared sitting around the table laughing and telling stories. Next month we will do it again at the McKowen homestead and I am sure we will have as much fun, and as many laughs!
Have a wonderful week and let me leave you with an empowering thought: You perceive the world through an obscure window of beliefs, interpretations, and associations. The world is therefore a reflection of your mind. As your mind clears, you perceive reality simply as it is. What does your experience of life reveal about your filters of perception?
Lots of love!
Monday, October 1, 2007
MM 10/01/2007
Hello friends,
Happy Monday! Is it raining where you are? It is here. I love that we are having this early rain to welcome fall. My neighborhood has the most beautiful trees and one in particular is already completely, magnificently red! I know we still have plenty of warm days ahead of us, but this just really puts me in the mood for the coming holidays.
This weekend, Mason and I stayed home and laid low. Is that right, laid low? Anyway, we went through all of Mason's toys and made room for birthday and Christmas time, and I did the same in my room with clothes and stuff throughout the house. It feels so good to let go of stuff and de-clutter. I am finding that home is not so relaxing when I have so much stuff all around me. Not to mention that I keep stuff because I know I will need it, but when I do, I can't find it so I go out and buy what I need again anyway! It is a vicious cycle and I have vowed to break it. Let go, I say! Laughing.
Go have a wonderful week. Today, write down something you want to do before the end of the year. Plan it, and make it happen. Dave will be home today and we will be making plans for the rest of this year to create next year. I am excited and know the seeds we plant today will grow tall and strong tomorrow. Have a great week!
Kathy
Banish Doubt
When doubt is banished, abundance flourishes and anything is possible. We all tend to use our thoughts to create the world we choose. If you doubt your ability to create the life you intend, then you're refusing the power of intention. Even when nothing seems to indicate that you're accomplishing what you desire in your life, refuse to entertain doubt. Shakespeare declared, "Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt." And Ramana Maharshi observed, "Doubts arise because of an absence of surrender."
You may well choose to doubt what others say to you, or what you experience with your senses, but banish doubt when it comes to knowing that a universal force of intention designed you and got you here! Don't doubt your creation from a field of energy that's always available to you.
Wayne Dyer, from The Power Of Intention
Happy Monday! Is it raining where you are? It is here. I love that we are having this early rain to welcome fall. My neighborhood has the most beautiful trees and one in particular is already completely, magnificently red! I know we still have plenty of warm days ahead of us, but this just really puts me in the mood for the coming holidays.
This weekend, Mason and I stayed home and laid low. Is that right, laid low? Anyway, we went through all of Mason's toys and made room for birthday and Christmas time, and I did the same in my room with clothes and stuff throughout the house. It feels so good to let go of stuff and de-clutter. I am finding that home is not so relaxing when I have so much stuff all around me. Not to mention that I keep stuff because I know I will need it, but when I do, I can't find it so I go out and buy what I need again anyway! It is a vicious cycle and I have vowed to break it. Let go, I say! Laughing.
Go have a wonderful week. Today, write down something you want to do before the end of the year. Plan it, and make it happen. Dave will be home today and we will be making plans for the rest of this year to create next year. I am excited and know the seeds we plant today will grow tall and strong tomorrow. Have a great week!
Kathy
Banish Doubt
When doubt is banished, abundance flourishes and anything is possible. We all tend to use our thoughts to create the world we choose. If you doubt your ability to create the life you intend, then you're refusing the power of intention. Even when nothing seems to indicate that you're accomplishing what you desire in your life, refuse to entertain doubt. Shakespeare declared, "Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt." And Ramana Maharshi observed, "Doubts arise because of an absence of surrender."
You may well choose to doubt what others say to you, or what you experience with your senses, but banish doubt when it comes to knowing that a universal force of intention designed you and got you here! Don't doubt your creation from a field of energy that's always available to you.
Wayne Dyer, from The Power Of Intention
Monday, September 24, 2007
MM 9/24/2007
Happy Fall!
Hooray! It's finally here. All of you know by now, this is my favorite time of year. The cold front that moved through, with just enough rain, really put me in the mood. For what you ask? Cooler weather, soft sweaters, cream soups, changing leaves and fires to keep us warm. What about you, what is your favorite season and why?
Dave is in Anaheim until next Monday so it is just me, Colton, and Mason. Between work, school, homework, writing projects, exercise, and everything else that seems to dominate my days, it will seem like I blinked my eyes, and Dave will be home.
For now, it is the start of a busy week and I am off and running. I hope you make the most of each day this week and I will see you on Monday. I love this quote. I try to live by this philosophy. I hope you enjoy it and take a moment to really take it in. Think about it and ask yourself if you agree.
Lots of love,
Kathy
"That's why mental happiness is more important than physical comfort. Physical comfort comes from the material. But material facilities cannot provide you with peace of mind. … When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, 'Oh yes—I already have everything that I really need."
— The Dalai Lama
Hooray! It's finally here. All of you know by now, this is my favorite time of year. The cold front that moved through, with just enough rain, really put me in the mood. For what you ask? Cooler weather, soft sweaters, cream soups, changing leaves and fires to keep us warm. What about you, what is your favorite season and why?
Dave is in Anaheim until next Monday so it is just me, Colton, and Mason. Between work, school, homework, writing projects, exercise, and everything else that seems to dominate my days, it will seem like I blinked my eyes, and Dave will be home.
For now, it is the start of a busy week and I am off and running. I hope you make the most of each day this week and I will see you on Monday. I love this quote. I try to live by this philosophy. I hope you enjoy it and take a moment to really take it in. Think about it and ask yourself if you agree.
Lots of love,
Kathy
"That's why mental happiness is more important than physical comfort. Physical comfort comes from the material. But material facilities cannot provide you with peace of mind. … When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, 'Oh yes—I already have everything that I really need."
— The Dalai Lama
Monday, September 17, 2007
MM 9/17/2007
Happy Monday and I think this is the last "official" week of summer.Did you have a good weekend? We did. Saturday was the night of Auburn's big street party, the Black and White Ball. It was James Bond themed for the year, 2007, 007, get it? It was not a great theme for costumes because it was not easy to duplicate some of the most famous Bond characters. Dave did a great job as Emilio Largo and I was a 60s go-go dancer. It was fun. Roberta and Steve came from San Jose, and Mike from Alameda. Most ball goers were true to the party name and just dressed in black and white. Sunday, Dave made us a big breakfast and the rest of the day was for lounging.
I now want to comment on a realization I had this weekend and see if any of you have had similar experiences. I am sure you have all heard the phrase "first a whisper, than a shout, and then a brick." If you have not, it refers to the messages that the universe, or God, or just our inner voices (whichever you believe), sends us about what to do in any given situation. The whisper is that feeling you get, that nagging sensation that makes you think twice but usually, you go ahead as planned. The shout is the event that happens that appears to be a nuisance, something going wrong, but, you still go ahead. The brick is the trouble, that if you had known was coming your way with the whisper, you would have changed course all together. As a younger woman, I had to get to the brick step over and over on the same issue. This weekend, I got to the shout step, and boy did it impact me. My point is that, as I get older, it takes less to make me rethink my course of action. I guess this is not such a big realization, since as we grow and mature, we pay attention and realize that "it" can happen to us. "It" can be anything from an auto accident, to infidelity, to an untimely death.
So with that, listen to the whispers, don't worry about changing your plans and have a great week! Lots of love!
Kathy
"As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to decide what is best for you - the first time around."
Oprah
Monday, September 10, 2007
MM 9/10/2007
Hi Friends,
I am late, late, late! Today was not at all what I had planned and certainly not the kind of day I wanted to occupy my time. Before I even got out the door to get Mason to school, Dave called to tell me he had been in an auto accident. He is okay, but suffering from whiplash. Hopefully, it is just sore muscles, but as many of you know, you don't know until a few days have past. He was rear ended while stopped and it appears his truck is totaled . I am very grateful that it wasn't more serious and even more thankful that he wasn't driving the Miata.
With that, I have to run, I'm still trying to catch up! Have a great week and I will be in touch next week.
I am late, late, late! Today was not at all what I had planned and certainly not the kind of day I wanted to occupy my time. Before I even got out the door to get Mason to school, Dave called to tell me he had been in an auto accident. He is okay, but suffering from whiplash. Hopefully, it is just sore muscles, but as many of you know, you don't know until a few days have past. He was rear ended while stopped and it appears his truck is totaled . I am very grateful that it wasn't more serious and even more thankful that he wasn't driving the Miata.
With that, I have to run, I'm still trying to catch up! Have a great week and I will be in touch next week.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
MM 9/4/2007
Happy Fall!
Is it official, can I say "fall?" I think the first day of fall is later, September 23, but it is after Labor day so that means summer is officially over. It is my prediction that with the mild weather we had all summer, that we are in for a very warm fall. We shall see!
As usual, Dave was at his game convention this last weekend and Colton was with his mom. That left Mason and I to our own devices. We went to the video and grocery stores on Friday night to set up our weekend. Saturday we watched movies and ate junk food. It was a rare occasion that "anything goes" as far as food and meals. Mason liked that! Sunday we ran some errands and later we cooked hot dogs and smores in the back yard. We tried to sleep outside, but like last time, the dog was not having it! Monday we washed the cars, (more like played in the hose) and then when Colton and Dave got home, we had friends over for dinner.
Dave was home for just over 15 hours and he is off again. He will be in Ventura until Sunday. It is a good thing I can keep this family in line all by myself! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend, too. Think about today's motivator and ask yourself what you could do if only you didn't know you couldn't. Have a great week and I'll see you next Monday.
Lots of love,
Kathy
Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
Is it official, can I say "fall?" I think the first day of fall is later, September 23, but it is after Labor day so that means summer is officially over. It is my prediction that with the mild weather we had all summer, that we are in for a very warm fall. We shall see!
As usual, Dave was at his game convention this last weekend and Colton was with his mom. That left Mason and I to our own devices. We went to the video and grocery stores on Friday night to set up our weekend. Saturday we watched movies and ate junk food. It was a rare occasion that "anything goes" as far as food and meals. Mason liked that! Sunday we ran some errands and later we cooked hot dogs and smores in the back yard. We tried to sleep outside, but like last time, the dog was not having it! Monday we washed the cars, (more like played in the hose) and then when Colton and Dave got home, we had friends over for dinner.
Dave was home for just over 15 hours and he is off again. He will be in Ventura until Sunday. It is a good thing I can keep this family in line all by myself! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend, too. Think about today's motivator and ask yourself what you could do if only you didn't know you couldn't. Have a great week and I'll see you next Monday.
Lots of love,
Kathy
Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
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