A Break From My Hiatus

Yes, I haven't blogged in MONTHS. And for very good reasons! It has been quite the adventure around here the past 5 or 6 months. I have been re-grouping and resting and falling into a wonderful new role here.

I have spent the past 6 months getting my consulting business off the ground and am finally reaping the fruits of my labor! I tell you that it doesn't get much better than to TRULY be an Independent Contractor. I am full time blown into Social Marketing, Translation, and Consulting on all matters mentioned afore, as well as specializing in educating people with the proper steps, rights, laws, and plans in becoming and working as an Independent Contractor and starting up Freelancing services. You can read *mostly* all that I do here. (This site too is still under constant change!) I am currently working on getting a site set up for my translation services. So far I have stayed busy enough with this that I haven't had to go looking too far!



It has been hard to even think about keeping up my own blog when I am working on everyone elses all week long! But, I have finally been able to do some 'facelifting' to my own blog and look forward to communicating with you all again! I've got some amazing new recipes, thoughts, and pictures that I am burning to get up here.



I am surprised - and so THANKFUL - to see that my ALL followers are still here and that you still communicate! THANK YOU! Here's to another adventurous year that we can all learn to appreciate and own!

*A very special thanks to 'AVeermeer Photography' for the wonderful new header photo!*

Drinks for Your Spirit!

So it's 18 degrees at our house today and we have had nothing but freezing drizzle and sounds like that's the plan for the rest of the weekend! Here at the Davis household, we love seasonal drinks - both non-alcoholic and adult - and ALL of these recipes can be made with alcoholic substitutes with just the same great flavor! Today we made some Hot Buttered Apple Rum! Ah..

Hot Buttered Apple Rum

Ingredients

* 4 inches stick cinnamon, broken
* 1 teaspoon whole allspice
* 1 teaspoon whole cloves (I've also used ground cloves too which works)
* 7 cups apple juice
* 1-1/2 to 2 cups rum
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* Butter
( If you want to have this drink alcoholic, alter this slightly by adding everything - except only cook about 1/2cup rum for flavoring. Then add a shot into the mug when serving.) The above recipe is great if you want a great flavored hot rum drink with the alcohol cooked out.

Directions

1. Tie cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in a spice bag. In a 3-1/2-, 4-, 5-, or 6-quart slow cooker combine spice bag, apple juice, rum, and brown sugar. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours.

2. Discard spice bag. Ladle hot punch into cups; float about 1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine on each serving. Makes 10 (6-ounce) servings.

Another favorite fall/winter drink of ours:

"Coffee Alfredo"
3/4 oz. each Kahlua, Amaretto, fill with coffee and top with whip cream. (for non alcoholic, use Choco & Amaretto coffee syrups)

"Hot Apple Pie"
Sparkling Cider, 1 1/4 oz heated Tuaca, topped with whip cream.

"Hot Angel"
Steamed milk (foam or not) with shot Frangelica. (for non-alcoholic, use hazelnut syrup in place of the Frangelica)

I'm A Survivor

The last several months have been something else for me. I didn't even know where to start when someone asks how things were going, etc. How do you tell someone that "yea pretty much life just sucks right now"? Well, since this is me that we're talking about, that's just about how it would come out! :) Nothing was going the way I'd wanted or planned and I was tired of not being able to cope - survive - function - without the help of sleep aids, relaxants, and screwing vitamins and 'all things natural'. Everything that I stood for and believed in began to fall down the drain in a hopeless feeling of exhastion and defeat.

I would find that at the end of my days, the last thing I wanted to do was get back online and share my thoughts and 'jordanisms' with people when I'd spent my entire day defending myself and just surving to get to the end of the day without being lectured and scolded. My passion for sharing on things and issues near and dear to my heart began to fade in the light of other things claiming priority in my life by means of necessity. There was no joy and energy left in me at the end of the day and the despair of the next coming day were enough to make me sick and I'd once again, neglect something that I once loved and looked forward to - blogging and keeping up on the latest herbal health trends and information.

But alas! There was a cloud with a silver lining in it on my horizon and I have embraced it full force! For the first time in 2 years, I am truly able to be a true Mommy and a real Independent Contractor. It has been a breath of fresh air to have set deadlines and projects and know that who cares when it gets done, as long as it's done and done well. There's no more being tied to my house and my phone in fear that I won't be available when I'm 'supposed' to be available and that I can run my own schedule and take time for my daughter.

I have GREATLY appreciated all of your emails and posts encouraging me to continue to share information and stories with you all. You are wonderful readers and I love you too!

Stars Hollow Syndrome

For those out there who are Gilmore Girls junkies (and yes, I include myself in this!),I must admit that I have some 'Stars Hollow Syndrome'. For awhile now, a group of us girlfriends get together and have our 'Gilmore Girls Night In'. We eat junk food and laugh and watch through the series until we can't stay awake any longer and then we pick up again the next week. We all end up talking about the same things (though most of us have seen these now how many times), 'Will Luke and Lorali ever get together?' and 'how about all those fast 1-liners!' and then always, always, always 'oh, i want to live in Connecticut in Stars Hollow. How fun..' and the comments go on and on and on.

Now, for those who have never seen the Gilmore Girls, I will give you a quick inside: Stars Hollow is a fictional New England town of aprx. 9,973 people in Connecticut. If you are familiar with the show, please skip the direct quotation from Wikipedia below:

Stars Hollow was inspired by and is loosely based on the real town of Washington Depot, Connecticut (located in the middle of the western half of the state, about 45 minutes from both Hartford and New Haven) which writer Amy Sherman-Palladino once traveled through. But at

There are many clues given during the course of the show as to its location in Connecticut, but unfortunately no one town fits all clues. Hartford is supposed to be within 30 minutes and New Haven is allegedly 22.8 miles away. Towns mentioned as being close include Woodbury and Beacon Falls (generally in the central south west of the state), Litchfield, Groton and New London (in the south east). This information can't be reconciled any better.

Washington Depot, the town Amy Sherman-Palladino mentioned as inspiring Stars Hollow, also uses a town meeting-style government and was founded in 1779. The homes and buildings in the town all match the style of that in Stars Hollow and the archetype New England town. In real life Woodbury is very close to Washington Depot. It should be noted that plenty of other Connecticut towns have village greens, gazebos or small quaint shops and give a feel much like Stars Hollow to a visitor.

Greg Morago of The Hartford Courant writes, "...... the Stars Hollow of The Gilmore Girls rings true. The town's antiques shops, small businesses, schools, government and infrastructure look the part. But where Sherman-Palladino has truly excelled, despite her Clueless origins, is in her drawing of colorful Connecticut characters. The populace of Stars Hollow, from the town busybody to the town troubadour, is familiar to any Nutmegger who ever attended a town meeting."

Now I post all of that above because of the point that I want to make: at some point I think many of us long for such a 'place'. It's this everyday, yet whimsical and magical small town that makes you feel like everything is just going to be ok and that people are just the nicest and best that there ever was. And even though life gets tough, there is always someone there to have your back.

When things start to get tough or begin to change, I naturally gravitate towards moving and changing atmospheres. I have been like this since I can remember and there are days where all I want is to live in my 'Stars Hollow' and go to town meetings and have a town troubadour sing while I walk down the street. Course, for right now, I guess that my Harry Connick Jr and Coldplay will just have to do the trick, eh?!

Memories and Smells

Tonight I was doing my nightly ritual of face washing, teeth brushing, etc. Since we are staying at my in-laws house currently, I had left my lotion downstairs and used some of the lotion by the sink for my hands.

Immediately I was taken back to Coventry, England 2001. All because of a lotion. The same brand of lotion that I used for 4 months while living in a tiny bedroom on the 3rd floor of a very damp and cat-smelling home. I can see the fluffy, single bed up against the wall right below the tiny long and narrow window - that I left cracked 24/7 to help with the cat dander & just stale stuffy air of the February winter inside. I am back in the room standing next to the narrow closet, looking at my huge forest green & maroon backpack that has 7 months worth of clothes, bedding, and school supplies stuffed into it. As I open the bedroom door, I can see the narrow hallway with the tiny, but beautiful Victorian style bathroom - with the hot water heater to the right as it kicks on loudly warning us all of the 10pm shut down time of the city water for each night. And not only do I see my home for that time, I see faces of my college friends and the cobblestone and brick roads outside. I can see the buses, train, and people sitting at the internet cafe and those on benches. I see the huge Cathedral and people walking around with backpacks and laughing at the tourists; the outdoor escalators and the amazing 3 story mall. I can smell the rain; I can smell the smog & exhaust; and I can see the green countryside outside of the city. Everything - every memory- about that time I am taken back to by the smell - the smell of lotion - the memories that I created 8 years ago during my Senior year of college. And I miss those memories -those experiences. So in honor of Coventry, England and all the wonderful people, my host family, and my friends & teachers, I have posted just a few pictures. I will have to go through my albums and post some more later!

I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to live over there for a brief time and I would definitely go back in a heartbeat!