Pictures Of Things + Le Love List

July 29th, 2016 - filed under: Furthermore » Feedback

Homegrown sunflowers.

Hi guys!

It’s Friday. And not only that, but it’s the final Friday of July, can you even comprehend it?? I don’t know where the month has gone, or where the summer has gone! My school starts back up on Monday (second summer session) and we’re finally going live with the online course I helped to develop. Jeremy says I should make a post about that, since I never really talk here on the blog about what I’m doing in grad school, but I feel like my teaching and my schooling doesn’t really have anything to do with this blog, ya know? So short version: I led a team that got a grant to build an online course from scratch. The course is called “Concepts and Controversies in the Biological Sciences” and it’s basically a mash-up of my two favorite things: science and politics. It’s been a crazy roller coaster of a year creating this thing, and on Monday it’s off and running! Huzzah!

In other news, Waits starts first grade in just a few weeks, we lost our cook at the wine bar so things have been sort of wild there with me in the kitchen (but it’s super fun), we’ve made some changes at home (more on that later) and I can finally see the finish line for graduation. Summer is short, and life is so, so full. But for the first time in a very long time, I feel more on top of it than I feel underneath it. Finally.

What can I say? I love summertime! Here’s what life’s been looking like these days:

Fireworks on the 4th of July. Happy birthday America! You’re a big ol’ weirdo but I love you a million!

And a 4th of July after-party back at our house. I can’t even tell you how happy this picture makes me! Sweet friends being all totally adorable, plus kitty cat lovin’ and icy IPAs and kindergarten-art screaming LOVE in the background . . . perfection.

Sooo I’m totally obsessed with this amazing new app that turns photos into art. It’s called Prisma and it’s too much fun! See?

Yeah. OBSESSED!

Summer is for homemade popsicles. These lemonade-blackberry beauties were especially delicious.

Surf camp! I know I am way biased, but does my kiddo not look like the most perfect little California dude? He crushed those waves, too. I’m a proud mama!

When all the best things are in season.

Farmer’s Market treats for the fur babies.

Theatre camp! In one week, this amazing group of kiddos learned, staged, and built a set for The Jungle Book. My little guy made his official theatrical debut as a snake and a monkey, and dang if he wasn’t the best little singing dancing snake and monkey I’ve ever seen. He even had a line and yes, he *nailed* it! Okay, did I mention I’m proud?

Proud!

And oh hey! We made a video! Waits and I had a ton of fun filming our unboxing of a recent Vegan Cuts snack box delivery. It had been a long time since our last snack box, and we were so happy to discover that they’re even bigger and better than they used to be! I love learning about new healthy options, and Waits . . . well, this little enthusiast can just barely contain his excitement!

~~~

And now, it’s time for the one, the only, Le Love List!

Living in flip flops. // Picnic dinners on the beach with my boys. Food and music and splashing and dancing. It may be my very favorite part of summer. ♥ // Whitney and Tess teasing me that I should call my next book “The Vegan MILF.” Ha! // Clean bills of health. // Being the person that friends call when they need period clothing (50s, 60s, 70s) for a costume party . . . because I wear that stuff all day every day! // Gold jewelry. // Citrine and Selenite. // Registering new URLs for really, really exciting new projects. // Gilmore Girls binges. // Taco Tuesdays and Witchy Wednesdays, and the wonderful women I spend them with! // Honoring the full moon. // Eating out of my garden almost every day. Rooting myself, literally and spiritually, in this land. // A few weeks back I texted my dad and said, “I have existential questions! Please advise!” My dad has spent the past many decades working as a doctor of Chinese Medicine, and studying eastern philosophy. So when I hit the rock bottom of my existential crisis, I knew he was the one I had to call. And we met up for coffee, and had this incredible 2-hour stroll through a park, and I basically asked him, “Dad, what the fuck is the meaning of life?” He shared so much wisdom with me that day, and honestly I’m still processing it. And I’ve been sharing it with a bunch of my girlfriends who are all feeling similarly confused and constrained (the 30s are a weird time for wild-spirited women). And I hope to write about it more, here on the blog, sometime soon. Because my father helped me frame my life in a way I had never been able to before, and it all makes so much more sense now. I know what I need to do.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, he told me the meaning of life. It’s this: Freedom. I asked him to elaborate and that was kind of tricky, because freedom means different things to different people. It’s hard to pin down. But we decided it must be like porn, according to the Supreme Court. You know, like, “You know it when you see it.” So there ya go.

Freedom.

~~~

Alright guys, now it’s your turn! I really love reading your own Le Love Lists, so please leave them down in the comments below. What are the little things in your life that make you smile these days?

And as always, I hope you have a truly fantastic weekend!

♥

http://www.astrowitchery.com Charley

Waits is THE perfect California surf boy, so cute.
Kristin

Oh Sayward, I do hope you write more about your dad’s insights on this. Any light that can be shed would be most welcome. Ahhhh…
Jenn Gonzalez

Can we have the recipe for those amazing looking popsicles? Pretty please
Rachel R.

My love list!
Completing my first 5k in six years and beating my PR by 3 whole seconds! :) ** TLTs with late summer tomatoes ** My husband getting a new, awesome job at a nonoprofit, leaving behind a decade in retail ** Sending off a big federal grant (under the wire, but still on time!) ** Taking up yoga, finally ** Despite this yucky political climate, watching inspiring speeches by awesome people at the DNC ** Snuggling with my three pups!
Kati

Great list! Did you decide to pursue a PhD in biology? I’m finishing up my PhD in epidemiology next week and I’m still not sure if I’d recommend it.
stephie137

Family camping vacations with exploration and surprise beauty. Followed by vacation for just me and the partner (yay grandparents and aunts!). Visiting Montreal for the 15th time and still finding new rad stuff to see and do. Hiking. Fancy vegan restaurants. Reminders of times past. Learning new things about yourself and your relationships. A whole weekend of mom and kid fun: visits and enchanted gardens and pajama parties and he coolest lemonade stand this city has ever seen! Planning sister trips. There’s lots more…life is good right now.
Sarah

Your dad is really onto something- I’ve been so happy recently, and I think it’s because I finally feel free after months of being trapped in a situation over which I had no control. It’s almost impossible to articulate, but I can definitely feel a change! Here’s my Love List:

Living alone for the first time, and having an entirely vegan kitchen for the first time in my life ~ Overcoming a big obstacle in my PhD research, thanks to a huge influx of kindness from strangers ~ Sunny days ~ Fresh cherries ~ Long conversations about the importance of connecting with nature ~ Being in the early stages of a new relationship, when everything is a discovery ~ Community activism ~ Your Vegan Cuts unboxing video- Waits is adorable!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Aww, thank you! He’s got the olive skin and long golden locks down pat, that’s for sure! =D
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Already started working on something! I’ll definitely write it all down. This perspective has been so helpful to me and has already helped Jeremy and a bunch of my girlfriends as well. So I want to share!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Oh man, so easy! Just any good lemonade recipe (maybe add a bit of extra sweetener) with whole blackberries added in, poured into popsicle molds! No recipe necessary. Popsicles are so easy!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

I think it’s true (and I’m SO glad to hear you’re feeling it!) — freedom really is the answer. The times in my life when I have felt the most *alive* – grounded and centered yet wild and open – are the times that I felt FREE. And I have definitely spent the past few years feeling trapped, the opposite of free. I’m thrilled that you have escaped your situation, and I’m thrilled that I am working on changing mine. Cheers to FREEDOM!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

What an awesome list! And congrats on family camping followed by romantic vacation, that sounds like such bliss. ♥

I’m so glad to hear you’re happy!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

I’m hoping not to do a PhD. Right now it’s sort of a “backup plan” that I hope I won’t have to fall back on.

But WOW congrats to you on finishing up, that is amazing, DOCTOR! Wahoo!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Yay for a totally awesome Love List! It makes me so happy to hear all the things that are making you happy! (also mmm TLTs yessss)
http://angieeatspeace.com/ Angie

I want to hear SO much more about your online course and your dad’s views on life.
I recently just finished a summer of travel to India, Nepal and a little backpacking in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado. I am so overwhelmingly grateful and loving my ability to travel and the opportunity to marvel at the beauty of this world and meet some people who will remain life long friends.
Kristin

Yay! I am so excited to read. A fresh perspective is always a good thing. Thank you in advance for sharing! :)
Robyn Groves

Your dad totally nailed it. More talks plz!
Le le le lurve litht!

Beach walks and deep talks with girlfriends–moar! / Making plans to not have any plans and letting things happen organically. Result? A very deep cleaned home and wine with new friends. / Learning that balance, strength and grace often go hand in hand in shoe…in other words, my injuries don’t stop me from doing what I love…I just need to balance better, thereby learning strength and grace in the process. #yoga / The quiet calm of early mornings with the sun barely making his entrance…until my cat breaks the silence singing the song of his people. It’s seriously so funny, I can’t contain it.

Beach! Hike! Soon! So much love. <3 xx
Rebecca Carnes

That pic of Waits at surf camp is making me want to cancel P’s haircut appt!!! Too cute;) And I get just as excited about coupons as he does too LOL Love the Vegan Cuts video, I’ll have to check them out!
Gabriela Camacho D’Andrea

I was wondering what do you feed your cats. I know it’s a sensitive subject for vegans, but I would like to learn about your approach.
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Hi Gabriela, yes definitely a sensitive subject for many vegans! It’s a tough moral position for me as well, but I don’t want to get into all that. Ultimately, my cats are not vegan, I feed them high-quality food and use the Cruelty Cutter App (http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2014/11/an-introduction-to-the-beagle-freedom-project-the-cruelty-cutter-app/) to make sure the food I give them has not been tested on animals. I think right now we are giving them Newman’s Own organic wet food and a dry food from Whole Foods (but I can’t remember the name).

Hope that helps!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Well, you know I love the little boys with long hair! I keep thinking we should cut Waits’s but then . . . nawww. It’s just too cute!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Beach! Hike! Yessss! Love your love list and also, adorable celebrations of 96 years! So awesome. ♥
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Wow Angie what incredible adventures! Amazing way to spend the summer, I am so happy for you that you have been able to do that. It’s a dream of mine to someday see the far reaches of this world. Travel is life-changing!
Ilana

I’m approaching my thirties and can relate to that statement so much.
Thank you for being so honest.
Becky Carpenter

Perfect summer photos, seriously. I feel like summer is going by too fast! I still haven’t had time for enough picnics and beaches and swimming pools. Also I second everyone who requested you post about your dad’s insights! I’m almost to my 30s and I’m just feeling so lost lately about a lot of things. I’m so looking forward to that post!
https://www.youtube.com/user/gneasachamasoin WookieWifey

Can’t wait for the new articles and projects!! :)

My love list right now… <3 my best friend/chosen sister who is always there for me and our stupid little thrift shop retail therapy sessions and crazy drunken nights <3 these Indonesian instant noodles I found at world market that are making my life a little better. <3 new friends and finally being able to get out there and meet new people. I spent so long with an antisocial (insert word here) that wouldn't ever leave the house and didn't like it when I did that it's SO nice to be able to socialize and meet people, even though I've already been burned a few times. <3 having a job, even though it's a crappy minimum-wage one because it means I'm a little closer to working towards my goals. Even though things are still going wrong and falling apart at every turn, that's made me feel a little better and a little more in control. <3 the moon and the way my life seems to revolve around it. <3 possibilities and just seeing where life may put me next. <3 a new friend that has changed the way I look at some spiders and even named me the godparent of one of his spiders. I've been scared to death of them my entire life and, while I'm still not keen on wild ones, for the first time I look at pet spiders/tarantulas differently and am learning more about them instead of being irrationally afraid <3 finding a fresh snakeskin in the back yard of where I'm staying – it was completely in tact and beautiful and for some weird reason it made my day. <3 looking forward to a mini-vacation that I VERY much need (even though I shouldn't spend the money, but…I needs it, lol)…and this may sound very odd, but…<3 you, Sayward. For some reason lately, my youtube and media feeds have been full of bizarre, angry, bitter, opinionated vegans that shame and misconstrue other lifestyles and knowing you're out there and have a following of people like you keeps me in line in realizing that these people are crazy radicals and do not represent your entire community. You do the vegan community a world of good doing what you do.
https://www.youtube.com/user/gneasachamasoin WookieWifey

I’m glad to hear this as cats are naturally carnivores. Being a filthy hippie, I’m happy you honor the natural ways of nature, when it comes to animal habits and what’s best for their well-being! :)
http://www.one-sonic-bite.com/ Jennifer

That’s cool that you helped develop an online class! Is there something about doing cool things in the academic world that people feel like they shouldn’t bother talking about? Recently I found out that my Mom help create an important simulation program to teach people in the medical field. I mean if I did that, I think I would be bragging about it to anyone who would listen. XD
sonja

I Would looove to read more about what your dad told you! Thanks for being Inspirational as always ♡

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