Apples of My Eye - Day Fifteen

My day started at 4 am today. It was the first day of Spring Break 2008 for us and that meant we were on our way to Tulsa International Airport to put Taylor, our eleven year old, on a plane with 30+ other fifth graders to fly to our nation's capital, Washington D.C.! It was all very exciting for the kids and this 4 day excursion will be action packed from start to finish. Many of you may not know this but Taylor is actually not my daughter. Taylor is my husband's granddaughter, but we are helping to co-raise her, as Gordon's ex-wife has legal custody of "The Tay." I love her as much as if she were my own and she has been such a gift in my life. Although we're a blended family, it works beautifully and we know that God brought us together because we all needed one another. Paraphrasing from Dr. Evil to Mini Me, "They complete me!"

Once Taylor was safety in the air, Gordon started working and I was off and running with the rest of my day. I went on a produce shopping extravaganza, visiting Whole Foods, Akin's-our local health food store, and Center One Market-a "she she" boutique market that showcases local growers and local chef's.....it's cool, maybe too cool for this town, and it is pricey. With those three stops, I scored big on beautiful organic greens and vibrant fruits that are now beautifying my kitchen island. When in my kitchen, sometimes I just stand and admire the bounty laid out before me in awe, almost as if it were a shrine. Does being with fresh, organic, ripe produce ever cause you to well up a bit? I've noticed I can get moved this way when I am at an open air farmer's market or at my dad's house, in his organic garden. It is just a passion for me. I have propped up my un-cook book from Cafe Gratitude to be displayed right next to the spread because I love the name and it says it all, I Am Grateful. True that.

Then in the late afternoon, I spent some time chauffeuring my daughter and her friends to and from the mall, movies and dinner. Gabrielle will be 15 in May. Hard to believe my baby is now a lovely young lady. She is a beautiful girl, inside and out, and I am very proud of her. However, her diet is polar opposite of mine. If it's raw or green, forget about it. I hold to the belief that her opinions and tastes will evolve and develop as she matures. I, too, despised healthy food when I was young, and over time, my body simply stopped allowing the dietary abuse and here I am today, working towards undoing all I can from the damage caused by years of poor choices. Anyway, coming back to the present...we have a house full of giggling and shrieking teen girls running around the house and I am enjoying this time of finally winding down to rest and count my many blessings. And since tomorrow is Palm Sunday, a spirit of thanksgiving seems to fit perfectly.

PS....Nub, the wisdom tooth, seems to have stopped hurting today. Thanks to everyone for your holistic dental suggestions....they appear to be working!!

Saturday's Daily Juice:
water-MSM-lemon
ginger tea w/ raw honey & lemon
1.5 qt. celery, kale, dandelion greens, apples, & lime.
1 qt. spinach, tangerine, blueberry
Tulsi vanilla tea
1 qt. cucumber, orange bell pepper, onion sprouts, yellow onion, asparagus, broccoli, cilantro, parsley, carrot, tomato, garlic, jalepeno, & Celtic sea salt. (sounds strong...it was and I loved it!)