Happy New Year lovelies!  Today also begins my one week countdown to the end of this 365 days project!  Here are the missing photos of the last days of 2010 to today.

343/365 Days: Snowed rINg

344/365 Days: Comfort food

345/365 Days: Tight lipped

346/365 Days

347/365 Days

348/365 Days

349/365 Days

350/365 Days: Church shoes?

351/365 Days: From Santa

352/365 Days

353/365 Days

354/365 Days

355/365 Days

356/365 Days

357/365 Days: It's All We Got! xoxo

358/365 Days: Happy New Year!

Our car broke down today on my way home in the most ladylike of ways.  It jerked a little but mostly just slowed down to a stop right into the Post Office parking lot, nearby an ATM where I could get cash for the bus, a petrol station where I could get change and the bus stop about 10 minutes down the street from home.  How nice of our car to think of such things.  She must have known how bad it would have been out there in the cold snow and must have planned it all…  Mrs. Mia Wallace (Yes, my hubby named her after Uma Thurman’s character in ‘Pulp Fiction’) is after all, a lady!

Yes this is a real gun and yes I am at work with a real gun. We are in Ohio after all and to lightly explain, we do have things such as “hunting season.”  No, I am not making a statement about my Mac or Apple in particular.  There are days when I want to run for the hills, live on a farm, grow my own food, paint, draw write with a pen on paper, and have nothing to do with computers or technology at all.  Today is one of them.  It’s not that I don’t see the benefits of it or that I don’t enjoy the use of it.  I think in many ways, technology will save us only because it will bring us together – via our network of communities (our tribes), that is.  I just long for the slow, simple life.  I find that having a computer and all computer-like devices makes the mind a master and it isn’t who we are.

"The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers." ~Sydney J. Harris

We woke up early despite my 3a.m. bed time to meditate this morning with some of Columbus’ Buddhist community. It was one hour of in and out peace, revelation and a bit of noise. All in all, it made for a great start of the day- a much needed push of the pause button after yesterday.  I came to the realization that is summed up in this Chinese Proverb: “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same”.

If there are others with my same goal, then I’m not alone in my striving.  However we get up to the top is not important, just as long as we get there.

“Outside noisy, inside empty” ~Chinese Proverb

Funny thing about having a goal is that not everyone is on board with you to help you get there.  There are no armies, no magicians, no knight on a white horse who will come and make it all happen.  No one is coming.  If you want it bad enough and it means that much to you, it’s up to you and only you to make that trek.  You will probably get some support but if it’s not happening, you just gotta look down at the horse you’re riding on see why each two steps sets you back. That’s what I mean by it’s up to you and only you.  This is where I’m at.

Me and metaphors on metaphoRmula.  You won’t get a straight story here.  Nope – there is no wizard behind a veil, no magic unveiling potions, just this.  I even have two sided quotes with this one just to mess you up even more.

"I hate looking backward, but every once in a while it sneaks up on you." ~Burt Lancaster "I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward." ~Charlotte Bronte

Today, I’m extra grateful for my guides for helping me to discover the sublime life – for helping me to really see – which is to say use all my senses to feel- how amazing it is to be alive.  I distinctly remember when I started to notice all the beautiful details of life when my oldest brother taught me to look at the world with an artistic eye and it was so clear to me the day I realized my heart could be opened to aspiration as I read “On Self-Knowledge” in The Prophet by Khalil Gibran for the first time.  And now, I can look back and remember how Dr. Seuss taught me how to read and imagine by simply being there when no one else was or could.  As far as music goes, I have a faint recollection of dancing unashamedly and with complete joyful abandon to Celebration by Kool and the Gang as a child.  How about you?  Do you remember all the distinct moments in your life when you awoke to Life itself?

"You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle." ~Paulo Coelho

I was Skyping with my friends in Australia tonight and her nephew came in with stinky feet…  His cuteness made up for it though.  He said he wanted me to make him a girlfriend.  Yup, we’ll work on that for ya Jakey ;-)

Note: Sorry for the bad font usage but it’s meant to be cheesy and there’s no way I’m going to be spending the rest of the evening editing a photo when my hubby is finally done with the school quarter.  We got more important work to do (thanks to Jake)!

"I wish people would turn off their computers, go outside, talk to people, touch people, lick people, enjoy each other's company and smell each other on the rump." ~Tre Cool

A day goes by, and another and next thing you know, it’s been another 11 days since I’ve posted a daily! I’ve got a really good excuse this time though. I’ve been working hard redoing the website for LittleandLOUD.org and we are also campaigning to win a $50,000 grant from the Pepsi RefreshEverything.com competition.  Winning would mean we could branch out here in the U.S. to create more creative, cultural, empowering and all around transformative LOUDLabs for children of all backgrounds.  Please vote for us EVERYDAY if you want to support the next generation in becoming empowered leaders of social, humanitarian, environmental and all around global movements to come (http://www.refresheverything.com/littleandloud)!  Before we get to the dailies, check out our video:

Day 324: Sexy Boots

Day 325: Crinkled haze

Day 326: Waiting... for my prescription to be filled that is. I was so sick here!

Day 327: Dark Snow

Day 328: No two are alike

Day 329: Fragments

Day 330: Reading makes the heart blossom (This is a necklace I'm putting up on Etsy!)

Day 331: Biker babe

Day 332: Fuzzy wuzzy was a nerd

Day 333: Orange you glad I'm smilin'?

Day 334: Am I the only one not fond of donuts?