Rocco

I have some exciting news! We got a puppy last night. He is an Italian Greyhound. We named him Rocco. He is super needy right now but does the funnest things. He loves to be held and likes to be tucked in his blankets like a little kid. We have only had him for a day and hes getting more and more adventurous by the hour. Like me he hates the cold so we make good friends. There are some picture attached of when he was a more puppy and some last night. He insisted that both lucas and I was touching him or he'd start whimpering last night at bed time. I'm sure there will be many more updates.

new painting "three times square"

This painting I created reminds me of Time Square in NYC. Among all the gray there is this crazy burst of color in the middle of the city. There is a three in the color.

Grassfire

Here is my newest artwork. It was fun making and one of my favorites to date. I made a little video of it too. The music is a little upbeat, but that's the idea.

pooh advice

"You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."--Winnie the Pooh

Even to this day. When I know better. I still think that someone is just going to knock on my door and solve all my problems or the problem of the day. Weather they are stopping by to give me millions of dollars, offer me the best job ever, or the intelligence and wisdom of a man that has lived a full life. What I have learned and know is that people succeed and people accomplish by action. They work and desire. Nothing great has happen to anyone who sits on the couch all day long.

This also works with people. I know I assume peoples' thoughts and perceptions all the time. I miss out on lots of opportunities because of that. I must take action, I must go to them!

You Body Balance is Back

I'm not sure if I already did a post on this but I didn't see it. I have restarted my old blog up again. There is new info mixed in with some old so check it out :)

http://yourbodybalance.blogspot.com/

Rush Hour

I think I have one of the best drives to work- it being that I live in a large city. There is a forest in the middle of Portland and the highway I drive to get to work every day goes right in the middle of it. Because rush hour sometimes makes you go 15 mph I often get to focus on the current season and the beauty of the Earth. We have been having LOTS of rain the last few days and it has cause things to get green every quick as new life is reborn from the death of winter. Today I got to watch the sun literally melt the clouds away. I also get to go through a tunnel and across the tallest bridge in Portland. I decided to take pictures with my phone of the scenery. I am not sure they give justice or if it was plain out safe. enjoy what i enjoy :)

Windows

I know this is sorta boring but after months of calls and quotes we finally got the rest of the windows in the house replaced. All but three windows where done when we moved in. I hope that it keeps the house warmer. I've been bustin' by butt in the back yard and hope that it pays off to be much more beautiful this summer. Anything worthwhile takes some work or at least I keep telling myself. It takes me back to the Saturdays working in the yard at home. Now i just need to have some kids to help me do the work :) I'm glad for the Strong work ethic I was raised with. I know it seems surprising since I probably complained the most, but I am better off today because of it.

FAV QUOTES

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” -Confucius

Birthdays oh birthday

So I'm turning 27 soon. I'm sure I'll have some post about it after it happens as I seem to have some sort of mid life crisis every year. Then i get over it. The true reason for the post is I was hoping everyone could email me the birthday of all there wife's and husband's and children. Please send them to my work Email: reynoldsjo@usa.redcross.org I actually can schedule it on my outlook calender. It was my goal to be more active about this and I missed Luke's birthday and was totally bumbed. Thanks!

IKEA easter

WE sorta had this awkward area after the kitchen that extended to the other bathroom. It was like a dinning area but was really long. So we decided to split it into a reading room. We already had the bookcase from earlier. We went to Ikea to get some chairs and ended up with a kitchen table too ( it was way on sale... boo-ya!). So we spent the whole weekend building the table and its six chairs. The two ponga chairs with the little table. That little table was probably the most expenisve thing. We moved the bookcase out of the office and into the this room. We also got the cool sheep rug so you had a soft place for your feet. I was against the foot rest so there is only one and Lucas had to buy it with his own money. :) Ialso got a really big vase that is about three feet tall but didn't take a picture of it. Its in the other TV front room. The area ended up looking pretty good and has a great view of the pool area. (really pretty and calming at night with the pool lights on)

pure beauty

I've been waiting a year for these to come up. I bought them after season last year becasue they where on sell. I will have a row of eight and I think they are just awesome. Plus I noticed I could use a some pictures. Below are some pictures of our land scaping work.

FAV QUOTES

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."
--St. Augustine

Strep vs Joel round 32

This was yesterday

This is today

I seem very susceptible to this bug. They want to take my tonsils but i refuse. I seem to have it bad this time. Not sure how i got it but i know one of my co-workers had it the week before. I thought I would take some pictures to gross everyone out except Valerie.

purple trees

designer babys in sheep clothing

I found this article interesting. This is not the first time a baby was engineered ( I just love when they use that word talking about life) for a sibling with an illness. I'm not even sure how I feel about it but it feels wrong. Mostly because of the value of the the new baby is set under a value of the sick child. I just see a mess of phyicological issues waiting to happen. Or maybe the new child will grow up having a deep understanding of giving. Either way it makes me nervous and I'm pretty open to the idea of engineered babys.

http://www.cphpost.dk/news/scitech/92-technology/45075-nations-first-donor-baby-conceived.html

GOOD LUCK VALERIE

Hope all goes well tomorrow as you bring a new baby into you beautiful family :)

Articles of Faith

I'll be honest its been a while since i've read these. With my new job I have to stick to the basics and understand the law of the procedure. I decided to look up the basics. To live up to the articles of faith alone is a lifetime achievement. There are two I connect with. I love article 11. This is an easy one to say but much more of a struggle to live. I think there's a way of looking at people with unconditional love. Sometimes we get caught up in the structure of a religion that we need to strip off the fluff and experience the essence. In the end when someone believes differently then you are you truly okay with saying they are okay?

11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

I can say this is a stamp of what I try to reach every day. I recently wrote Bridget an email and I talked about how I felt my values where ripped from me and I had to choose what I believed. It was that process where you no long do things because you are told or for what people think you should do but because you choose to be that way. I choose these:

13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Reminder

Avoid nutrient-lacking white foods (breads, flour, sugar) and go for all those colorful fruits and vegetables and dark whole-grain breads and cereals with their host of hidden nutrients.

FAV QUOTES

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed."
--Booker T. Washington

I read this today and I really connected. You really can't measure how successful a person is due to titles or awards because it's really over coming obstacles that make you successful.

Flotsam

Hey this is a pretty cool children book that one of my coworkers showed me. The entire story is pictures and it forces conversation in imagination. You should check it out of the Library.

Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book) by David Wiesner

Self-Prophesy Yourself

This is a concept I learned in sociology and have found it to be very true. Basically it means a prediction that directly or indirectly causes it self to become true. Socialist usually described it in a way of self defeat (like people hearing stereotypes and then living up to them), BUT it can be used in a positive way. It is a lot like mind of matter. I honestly believe that if you look at yourself in a desired way you will become that. You have to believe it. Anyone can be anything.

believing in Taylor Swift

There is this new chick in country music and her name is Taylor Swift. I'm not usually down with the flavor of the moment musician but this person has raw talent and even though I don't own a single song of hers I am impressed at what talented a person she is. She is a great writer and she is only 19. I often get hypnotized by these type of young prodigy type of people. I think because part one they are extremely talented in one area and part two they set a possibility that anything can be achievable even when facing something as challenging as age- something you have no control over at all. Continue to believe in yourself and who knows where it will lead you.

FAV QUOTES

I got this Dr Seuss book when I started this Leadership program at work called Oh, the places you'll go! I probably read it once a quarter. It's cool to look at where I am in the book and whats going on in my life. I'm usually always in the same spot. That waiting spot. If you have it I suggest you read it today. If you don't have it let me know and I'll buy you the book. This simple poetic story always lays things out when you feel like you are going and running in the same spot. So to the point- this is my favorite passage out of it:


"You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
so be sure you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexerous and deft.
and never mix up your right foot with your left."

Brain food

I came across this article on the livescience website and I liked it so much I thought I would post my favorite parts:

1. The brain, which accounts for 2 percent of our body weight, sucks down roughly 20 percent of our daily calories.
2. High glucose levels slowly but surely damage cells everywhere in the body, including those in the brain.
3. The brain may react to excess food as if it were a pathogen. The resulting immune response, which occurs irrespective of weight gain, may cause cognitive deficits such as those associated with Alzheimer's.
4. High blood sugar, coupled with a cognitive task, is associated with elevated cortisol — a hormone known to impair memory in high doses. In other words, don't get out the flash cards after that second (or third) piece of cake.
5. The brain needs Goldilocks portions of energy: not too much, not too little.
6. The brain works best with about 25 grams of glucose circulating in the blood stream — about the amount found in a banana
7. Become a Grazer- eat small amounts all day.
8. food affects everyone's brain a little differently
9. With the Goldilocks approach, there is no need to diet to distraction. "Every single fad diet is total rubbish," Green said.

New Job- New Era

FYI- I did end up getting the promotion at work. I'm nervous and excited. My title will be Quality Assurance Associate. I will basically be making sure that the blood products we have are of the highest quality. It has been difficult for me to make the decision because I have grown close to the people I work with and the lab is a comfort zone for me. I did however see my self in a sag-net job situation (almost everyone in the lab has worked there for over 25 years) and felt that i need to make a lateral move so I could move upwards in the future. I also wanted to try something outside of the lab. I will have an office and will finally be working a 9-5ish day. It kind of makes be feel grown up. Lessons I learned was that if you ask it opens possibilities. I ended up with a better job and higher pay just by asking if it could be. That doesn't mean it was easy and I did have to make a case but it was worth it. I'll be starting off on the 19th of this month and then will be in California for a week for some advance training. I think that this job will open many doors in many types of companies and i am excited for that. Its all new and yes I am scared that I wont be able to preform to the high expectations that senior management has set, but at the same time its a rush that keeps me alive and each day living.