This morning I broke in my new fruit juicer attachment for my Kitchenaid. Let me tell you, “Fresh Squeezed” is NOT the same as homemade, fresh squeezed! Nothing compares to the quality, flavor and sweetness of unprocessed, fresh squeezed, orange juice. Nothing.

So, what caused me to finally break in my new spinning fruit juicer? Well, I have great neighbors, many of whom own orange trees. Suffice it to say my basket was flowing over. As I’m not great at eating fresh fruit, I needed to find a way to use them. Don’t get me wrong, I love fruit but I’m super picky about sweetness. A tart strawberry can take me off the market for even trying another one for long spell. Oranges are a gamble. A really ripe one can be sweet and totally awesome, but get a tart or bitter one and I’m right back with the signing off for a spell page.

The greatest thing about my attachment was zero learning curve. It was obvious that I just had to plug it in to the front of my Kitchenaid and tighten the holding screw to keep it in place. I did find out quickly some lubricant was necessary. So I sprayed some cooking oil on the connector:

You can see the black lines at the top of the spinner, that’s where the spray went and instantly all the squeaks went away.

Then it was on to the juicing. I cut up 20 oranges of various sizes and held the halves up to the spinning device. I found the best speed was about 2. The seed/pulp catching tray caught the big stuff and the spinner did all the hard work.

I filtered the first few cups into the pitcher through a mesh cloth.

Then I got smart and put the cloth over the bowl:

I ended up with 1 quart of juice from 20 oranges (for reference, I’d average my sizes as medium), not bad for roughly 20 minutes worth of work this morning, minus a few interruptions to get the puppy out of the flower bed. *wink*

Looks like grapefruits and lemons are next.

Oh, and another fun tip I’ve learned and tried with success is freezing excess juice into ice cubes. You can add these to recipes and drinks to enhance flavor or cool a drink without diluting it. It’s so easy and works great.

So this morning I learned what a trillion dollars looks like, and how a new and unknown element may be the biggest reason for weight gain as well as the inability to lose it.

All in all, a good Monday morning!

Don’t Forget!

Of all life’s lessons, perhaps few are greater than the one of remembering to say thank you. I’m constantly amazed at how powerful these two words are and the good that can come from sharing them. Want to put a spin on it? Try starting with these two amazing words, you’ll be glad you did.

I’ve been hit lately with the recognition and importance of good things. I’ve always known that negative screams, it’s why we tend to notice it most, but the positive is always there waiting patiently and quietly to be found. Here’s some I found lurking amongst my “negatives” today:

Weeds: So they’re all over my backyard reminding me of how much work there is to do, but they personify determination and a free spirit and when they’re gone I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing a job has been done.

Stunted: These little flowers made it out of the ground, even blossomed but they’re only a few inches tall and the flowers are about the size of my thumbnail. What a reminder of how important nourishment is. It’s so easy to stunt ourselves and our growth, I wonder what I’m holding onto that I need to let go of and what things I need to be embracing more to nourish myself?

Bare: My new trees are budding but still look so bare, yet the promise that sings from those little budding leaves is amazing!

Too Late: I didn’t get some of my broccoli stocks cut before they began to flower, now I can’t eat them but boy they look pretty, big and strong. Maybe the late bloomer is stronger and prettier for the delay?

Influence: “Bloom where you’re planted” came to mind as I looked at these flowers planted side by side at the same time. I wonder what made one take off and the other not? Am I blooming?

Sideways Volunteer: First the picture is sideways, just like I feel somedays! Second this is a volunteer tree or shrub, it’s finding it’s way without any direct help or nourishment from me…..hmmmmmm

Unglued: Ug, this is the face of my pool cool deck, it’s literally coming unglued everywhere and chipping like crazy. I guess the upside is change is imminent and won’t it look nice and be appreciated when it’s redone?!

Dirty: Two pool steps, one got cleaned off when my son tested the water temperature this week, the next step remains neglected and dirty as the vacuum doesn’t climb stairs. I wonder what I’m neglecting because it’s a little harder to get to? The clean sure looks nice!

Cycles: Death is unavoidable, yet new growth is always there to replenish.

Singed: Some of these tomato plant leaves were singed by frost and cold, yet they didn’t let that stop their growth. There’s a lesson or two in there somewhere.

Clean Up: It’s too heavy to lift now, but it indicates progress don’t you think?

I think I’m really struck with the reality of how our perceptions paint our reality. I know so many people who find a blame or excuse for everything, including making good things look bad. But the reality is, there’s good in almost everything. You just have to look for it to see it. I hope I’m the kind of person that encourages good things with those that associate with me. I hope I’m a lifter and not a leaner, at least not all the time!

So what’s good in your life?

This morning I took a moment to walk through my yard and enjoy the simple pleasures; to appreciate newness, marvel at the wonder of creation and drink in the goodness of a new day. Here’s some of what I saw:

So much to do, so little time. Why does that always feel a prevalent theme? The last month has basically been a blur. The new year began with great energy, new projects, renewed focus and confidence. Today, one month has flown by, a lot has changed and I’m trying to regain my focus, balance and perspective. Change is the only constant. Things get better, other things come into view with a need to get better. And so it goes.

I started this post this morning and now nearly twelve hours later I’m getting back to it. That seems to sum up my computer time rather well lately. *snort* I’m so distracted now with achy muscles, fingers and back after an afternoon in the yard that all I can think of is a bubble bath before bed! It was wonderful to work outside though. The ground is perfect after all the rain, and the yard has been neglected for so long! We planted six fruit trees this past week, and I’m getting through my garden spots for spring planting. It’s so fun to have wonderful weather this time of year and to be able to see growth happening all the time.

I’m still trying to balance out some of my schedule and recent time demands. Things are slowly working back down to a simmer and I’m hopeful that a sense of normality will come soon. I’m looking forward to sleeping through the night again. Dexter came home this week and the first few nights have been like life with a newborn again, how quickly you forget. He sure is a cute little pup and everyone’s enjoying having him around.

So at the end of this day I can say things are getting better, and I’m slowly identifying and mapping out the things that still need to get better. Thank heaven the universe demands balance. *wink*

Anyone watching the weather lately knows the southwest has been hit with a monster storm bringing a lot of rain, and wind. We actually had a tornado warning last night and reports of a few touching down in the valley. My home has been blessed to receive a more mild dose of this crazy storm. We’ve had the crazy winds, losing a few window screens but I didn’t lose any trees like some of my neighbors are reporting. I do have a lake in the back yard with more rain expected today:

So all this crazy flooding seems to fit my week’s personal events as well. Between health annoyances, crazy busy calendars, and new responsibilities displacing daily needs, I’m definitely feeling a little waterlogged. The good news is it’s Friday now and I’m feeling like I can now surface for a big gulp of air. The sun will come back and just like the ground will absorb and benefit from all this excess moisture - so will my mind, body and spirit from its current excess too.

It’s easy to complain. It’s too easy too complain. In fact, it’s downright effortless. Even surrounded by countless blessings, one can find themselves huddled in a corner counting off their inconveniences and missing objects. I was reminded of this tonight.

It started with going to the movie with my daughter. She’s reaching the age where she really wants to do more grown up activities, or at least what she perceives as more grown up. She can’t identify why she wants to go to the mall, just that she wants to go. So today we settled on a movie together. Knowing the boys have clear lines drawn about the types of movies they want to see, and asking her to continually sacrifice her own wants when the topic comes up, I offered to take her to a movie today that she would enjoy. So we went to see The Blind Side.

When I got home I found a few more chores waiting for my attention; dinner, laundry and making a bed to name a few. I found myself putting clothes away and thinking to myself how I’d just gotten done doing something for someone else and how nice it would have been if I could have not had to come home and do more. I dreamed of how nice it would be to just do the things I want to do instead of all the things that need done. And just like that, I was complaining. Complaining, while all around me were signs of success: clothes to launder and put away, money for a movie, the convenience of picking up dinner when it’s too late to make something, having a wonderful family of my own to be responsible for. I wouldn’t change it for anything.

I suppose I was feeling a little backlash from the abrupt timing of leaving for the movie. Cid had been such a trooper helping without being asked around the house. She’d wanted to go out this morning and I told her I had too many chores to do, so she jumped in helping with a few in the hopes that it might speed things along and leave enough time to do something she wanted. I couldn’t turn her down, she’d earned it. I mean, how many 12 year old girls do you know will clean their 7 year old brother’s disastrous room on their own and be happy about it? I was planning on doing a family movie up until about 5 minutes before plans changed and we had to rush out the door to catch the chick flick. I left my projects in midstream which left me somewhat befuddled, but I’m not sorry; it was quality time with a sweet girl who means the world to me. The movie, based on a true story, brought so much back into focus. A 17 year old boy with nowhere to live, from a broken home, a broken life, a broken family. When a private school’s coach sees his potential athletic ability he pushes to get him admitted to the school despite his low scores and lack of files or other meaningful information. One family acts on seeing him alone in the rain one night and they take him in. What starts out as a short term arrangement ends up as a permanent arrangement and addition to the family with every blessing and wonderful thing that comes with it, including scholarships to college and an eventual position in the NFL - literally a life saved. The story really brought to the forefront the realities of stark comparisons for a life with and a life without, as well as the amazing power of love and kindness. A reminder that we all have so much to give, and there are scores of others waiting for us to recognize that, waiting for a needed lift.

So, I stopped for a moment while putting away clothes and making the bed to think on how much I have. To recognize that I was complaining about having to do the basic things that indicate I have my basic needs met. How silly. I took a moment to realize how blessed I am and how good we have it. I only hope it’s the first of many such reflections in the coming year.

I’m still not sure how it happens. It’s like a thief in the night who sneaks in and announces another year has passed. I read once that growing older is like a roll of toilet paper, the older you get the faster it goes. I’m seeing the truth in that silly observation! I’m pretty sure we just did this and yet birthday time found it’s way to me again. I’m just celebrating that while 40 grows ever closer it’s still not here yet!

Yesterday was a great day. Blake took the day off and pampered me with great food, a new mouse for my computer and some wheat to try out my new Wonder Mill grinder. Maybe I’ll even find the energy to try it out this afternoon. Other highlights include my kids letting me sleep in, new earrings from my in-laws, picking my first successful squash from my garden, finding flowers at my door, many fantastic birthday wishes from friends and visits with family on the phone. We also started the day by visiting our newest family addition, Dexter. He’s a tiny little pup that will be ready to come home at the end of January.

I found the house yesterday. Today I can just sit and enjoy it clean! And then this morning I got the crazy idea to do another drastic hair cut. So I took the morning off my usual things and did a cut and color, pedicure and manicure on myself. It was heaven. Now if I could just figure out how to clone myself so I could enjoy all of it without being the one doing it too!

Here’s a few recent pictures and the ones from today: