and the winner is ...

Congratulations, Bonnie, you are the winner of the book!! And how funny ... i was going to send you a package soon, anyway ...so i guess it will just be a bigger one. THANK you for your sweet sweet package as well, which i received yesterday. i absolutely loved the way it felt (and smelled!!). You are very kind. I love Mr. Jake Wildwood's musical CD. very mellow and uplifting in the car.

I did my taxes tonight and got a nice refund, which kind of fills in the glut left by my "massive living room restructuring." it's not terribly too much, but it's enough to make a difference. i'm going to apply for more student loans right now ... hopefully it's the last loan i'll need to spend some of, even though i'll apply to get the money for the duration of being a student. you just never know when an emergency, heaven forbid, might arise.

i did a VERY. BAD. THING. tonight and took myself out for sushi and a glass of wine. but it's been a trying week so far, what with having to be in court each day for jury duty (i was there ALL day today, enduring nearly two late afternoon hours in a small courtroom with lawyers' questions, only to not be picked to serve on the jury in the end, they basically went with the only 12 people who hadn't said a word the whole time, go figure!) ... and getting my car's bumper smashed up a bit by accident by a kid in the parking garage. it'll be paid for by his insurance company, but it's just a headache to get estimates on a saturday, etc. i guess i was just feeling a little overwhelmed ... when my blood sugar gets real low like, i don't think too well and just want to sit and eat ... now. the thought of going home, even to deal with a frozen meal (which i have plenty of) was daunting. i was also upset for not being able to eat dinner by 2 hours before yoga ... i did *not* want to miss yoga. ah well ... this, too, shall pass. there's another opportunity tomorrow night. And there are many more opportunities to say a big fat NO! to spending ... so all i can do is move on, right?

i found a friday meditation class in my area that i'd like to start going to. between this and having decided at the library last night i was going to begin reading The Arabian Nights aloud each night -- well they'll be nice (even though the med. class would involve parting with some cash) interspersions, if you will, with all the homework i'm going to start setting myself near-daily time limits for. it sounds a bit like boot camp, doesn't it? haha. ... no ... i'm actually looking forward to doing it, i think it's the getting started into a new routine for the next month that's the hardest part.

anyway before i ramble on too much more, i hope you're all having a good week. one good thing about all this is i certainly did need a bit of change in the daily work routine. so i'm blessed that it came when it did.

be well, friends, and i'll catch you when things are a bit less tumbly-wumbly.

peace,

karen

p.s. i don't know where i got the Amish bread recipe, but it's worked out PERFECTLY! the bread is gorgeous and great for slicing and tastes ... out of this world. i promise, at some point i'll put up some recipes, bear with me!