Happiness Is...

*celebrating Beren's birthday, watching him thoroughly enjoy his special day.

*Coyote Ugly. If you haven't been to this place, I encourge you to go. A new one just opened in My Kingdom and we couldn't wait to try it out. What a fun evening!

*spending the night in a posh hotel room, waking up whenever we wanted and enjoying a leisurely lunch at a wonderful little outdoor cafe. I looooove grilled portobello sandwiches!

*visiting my favorite little shoe store and grabbing two pairs for $30! (Aren't they adorable?)

*coming home to my family. Just 24 hours away and I was really missing them!

Today's Inspiration: Henri Nouwen

"Writing can be a creative and invigorating way to make our lives available to ourselves and to others. We have to trust that our stories deserve to be told - we may discover that the better we tell our stories, the better we will want to live them." ~Henri Nouwen

My dear friend sent me this quote today. I was inspired by the quote and then, since I'd never heard of Mr. Nouwen, I was intrigued and compelled to do some more research.

It seems as if he was a gentle man, a peaceful spirit with a unique type of spirituality. Though I may have a different belief system, I am always open to learning more about the Spirit, in whatever form one sees Him/Her. I'm going to check my library to see if they have any of Henri's books. Thank you, Grace, for sharing this with me!

Cast of Characters: Part 1

There are a couple of changes being made here at the castle, a new format if you will. To protect the privacy of my friends & family, and just because it's darn fun, I'm going to assign them mythical/magical names which suit them. I've been quizzing folks for the past couple of days to find out which dieties or characters they identify with, and the results have been quite interesting!

So today I introduce My Sweetie and his new identity. He has chosen a name from the Lord of the Rings, Beren. Once I read the romantic story of Beren & Lúthien, I agreed wholeheartedly!

The gorgeous artwork above by Rowena Morrill.


Next up is my eldest daughter who has chosen the goddess Kali. I must admit that this frightens me just a bit as she seems ferocious! But I'm ever-so-glad that she identifies with a strong, kick-ass woman as she herself is just that.

So, there you go, two of my favorite people who reside with my in the Kingdom. More will follow as they choose their identities. Such fun stuff!

Weekly Weigh-In

Whoo-hoo! 2 lbs down this week. I guess the walking, cutting back on snacking and focusing on veggies worked! I'm a happy girl today!

On My Hearth: Zesty Tofu

Ever since visiting The Chicken Store in Key West a couple of weeks ago, I can no longer bring myself to eat chicken! I've gone through this before which is why I was a vegetarian for 10 years, seems I am going down that path once again.

So, in light of that, I am making a dinner-without-a-face tonight. This recipe is courtesy of Weightwatchers.

Zesty Tofu

POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 0 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Tofu is a terrific way to get in some calcium and protein. Try it marinated like we've done here, or in your favorite Asian stir-fry.

Ingredients

* 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
* 2 tsp honey
* 1 tsp white wine vinegar
* 1 tsp vegetable oil
* 1/2 tsp ginger root, fresh, minced
* 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
* 8 oz firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 cup)

Instructions:

* In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, vinegar, oil, ginger and pepper flakes.

* Divide tofu between 2 bowls and coat with sauce. Let stand 5 minutes.

Today's Inspiration: La Loba

"If you want to create, you have to sacrifice superficiality, some security, and often your desire to be liked, to draw up your most intense insights, your most far-reaching visions." ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes


Ever since I read Women Who Run With the Wolves years ago, I have been enamoured with wolves and inspired by La Loba, the Wild Woman. There is so much to say about her, but for now I'll start with this quote that resonated so deeply with me today. In the future I will definitely share more about my own Wild Woman and my own transformation toward "fleshing out" my bones.

If you are a Wild Woman reading out there (and what woman isn't?) please come forward and introduce yourself...curl up by the warmt of the fire with me and share your stories.

Back in the Saddle

Dear Readers: Perhaps you noticed my brief absence, and a couple of changes on my blog today. For reasons that I'd rather not go into, I was knocked on my ass a couple of days ago. I was left beaten and bruised, considered shutting down the blog for good but instead decided to take a short break and do a bit of "spring cleaning" on my body, mind & soul. Feeling refreshed and renewed, I'm now turning my attention to things here at the Castle. I've done some redecorating, and some purging, thought it was time to get rid of the old "stuff" down in the basement.

So, here I am, back in saddle, proving that it takes a helluva lot more than just a little push to keep me down!