Kharizma's Korner

Time flys

2010-07-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

When you are having fun and gettin dirty! Since my last post, I passes my pesticides private land certification. I have gone through Spring Term and only have a couple of weeks left on Summer Term. This term is all about the business. Speech, Writing and Math, I am taking a Perennial Class to keep my head in plants and doing my CWE (Cooperative Work Experience) at the gardens of Oatfield Estate.
My personal garden is going great. I will get some pics up soon. My eggplants are blooming, we have tiny tomatoes and tomatillos developing, plus a variety of other veggies and flowers.
This summer has been busy. We moved, I started Summer Term, which is only 8 weeks instead of 12...but they cram 12 weeks of work into it! Then my wonder boyfriend proposed to me on the 4th of July!!!! Now we have wedding planning on top of it all.

2010-02-25T13:19:00.000-08:00

I took a private applicators license test for pesticides yesterday. Not that I plan to use restricted use pesticides...EVER! But it was part of my education requirements to graduate with a degree in Horticulture, so may as well get the license if I have to take the test. I get my results next Wednesday.
I have all the ingredients to make a great garden with rich yummy soil. And I leveled out an area on the plot and layed down cardboard. Now I just got to find time on decent weathered day to put in some hours!

Preparing

2010-01-29T08:33:00.000-08:00

I got a garden plot at CCC and I am excited about starting my garden there. I am going to try lasagna gardening, raised beds and a small amount of in ground.
The raised beds are simple. You have all seen them. They are just boxes sitting on the ground filled with soil and you plant in them.
The in ground method is the traditional...till the soil, mulch, make amendments, plant.
The lasagna gardening method sounds like fun to me. Instead of trying make the clay soil good soil and have to wait for years of tilling and amending before you have quality soil; you just lay down some cardboard as your base. Then you pile on your compost, peat (or coconut coir..which is what I will be using because it a fast renewable source) more compost, some manure (if you use alpaca or rabbit it can be put on directly with no burning)and some more compost. BAM! you got delicious soil and you are ready to plant!
I discovered Naomi's Organic Farm Supply and LOVE her and her local made products! I am not sure if she has the Coconut Coir but she has everything else I need and I am looking forward to forming a relationship with her as I build my garden up as well as when I am preparing and maintaining much larger gardens when Kharizma's Korner is up and running.
Spencer and I also went to the NW Ag Show this week. It was really fun to see all the equipment farmers use. We fell in love with a couple of dump trucks and a tractor or two. There was a huge section showing old models of equipment. It was fun to see the steam engines running. There were quite a few vendors there and some local people with great products. I was excited to see packing material products. I am not sure why, except that I keep thinking I want a small fruit and nut orchard to accompany Kharizma's Korner. I think that it could be incorporated into the Horticulture Therapy program.
It is supposed to rain all weekend, so I am not sure if we get a chance to get out in the garden or not. Hopfully we get something done towards its progress!

Today

2010-01-15T05:01:00.000-08:00

Today I am excited about the future. Today I am scared that my dreams are too far fetched. Today I have confidence that slow and steady WILL win this race. Today is a balancing act and I only feel slightly off balance. Today, I will learn more, apply more, laugh more, and love more. Today is a good day.

Change of blog minds

2010-01-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

So this blog will now begin to reflect all my thoughts, hopes and dreams on my career choice. I am hoping to go into business for myself by the end of this year and open January 2011 at the latest.

I want to open a respite center of sorts that will include some of what I do with nutritional counseling and horticulture. I want to offer horticulture therapy in a class/individual setting and in clients homes.

My goal is to gather a network of great alternative healers that are willing and able to work with very low income to homeless individuals as well as a high end clientele in the same setting. And then offer either full time/on going services through them or special classes or seminars that will be offered on a regular basis.

I want to create an atmosphere that is peaceful, calming and healing. I hope to have a covered outdoor area open to the public 24/7 for meditative purposes.

My ultimate dream is to have a full on retreat center inner-city.

I will be holding fundraising events featuring local artists (bands, photographers, modern/traditional art, chef/bake offs, etc) to raise awareness and bring a connection to specific communities that are dear to my heart (Parkinson's and Diabetes) and to a variety of other communities through out the years.

There are many pieces to the puzzle of my goals. And I am preparing for many of them now through getting a degree in horticulture and taking small business courses and well as researching and taking in as much as I can to run a successful non-profit organization.

I have many decisions to make and do not expect it all to come together in a miraculous wink of an eye. I am ready to work hard and sleep less to bring my dreams to fruition. I do expect to have the main premises up and running within a year. After that...experience and hands on time will help along my journey of honing my dreams to perfection.

I am confident and excited about my new endeavors and hope you will enjoy reading about my career/dream journey.

I will continue to blog my personal life at kharizmasthoughts.blogspot.com

Thank you for watching my life unfold.

A Week Into the New Year

2010-01-08T00:48:00.000-08:00

It is day 7 of the new year. I have made it through almost the full week of classes. One more to go tomorrow. The homework load is larger this term. I gotta really be on top of stuff! I think this may become a normal hour for me if I can't get stuff done before Spencer comes home. And since I don't get home from school most nights til an hour before he gets off work...there is a good chance I won't be caught up before dinner. So I will spend some quality time with my honey and then I will need to do some work. I can see how it will be managable. So now I just gotta make it work!

I went to a meeting with my Gran Gran and her roomate today to find out more about Medicaid programs. We found out that it may be quite a long time before either qualify. J'lou was dispointed but accepting and ready to look at other venues. My Gran Gran was gloating and practically glowing with joy that her roommate does not yet qualify. She makes me angry. I got mad at her on the phone today and cut her short before I got too nasty. I also asked the case worker if there was a caregiver counselor I could see, because I do not think I am dealing with my Gran's ageing and her lies and her manipulations with grace and love. I am not sure how much of that is her being old...but I think her negative personality has exploded in the past few years.

On a more cheerful note....

Spencer and I are thinking of moving into a house. I kinda thought we would be here til we purchased something. That mind-frame may have come from my swearing not to move again til I bought something when I moved into here. Although that was before I met the man of my dreams and all his many children and got another dog and therefore ran out of room in my adorable little apartment. I will keep you updated.

I created a business page on facebook for the business I hope to have soon. I don't have ALL the details yet figured out, but I have a good idea of the services I want to provide. It is just a matter of figuring out if I can run it out of my home or if I need a seperate location. Or a combo location. We will just have to see eh?

Spencer is out of town til tomorrow and I am having trouble sleeping alone. Even though he suffers from insomnia and spends hours NOT in bed with me. But he almost always goes to bed with me and then once I am asleep I am good! But I am finally feeling tired enough to go to sleep now.

G'nite all!

XO-K

The end and beginning

2009-12-31T13:12:00.000-08:00

Well today marks the end of a decade and the beginning of a new one. I cannot say my last 10 years have been filled with as much death and pain as the previous 10 years...but I can certainly say that I have learned many lessons. I loved with passion and loved with a kindred spirit. I fought hard; losing some and winning others. I lost myself and found nothing. I lost myself further and found the divine. I escaped into a world no one recognized me in and found emptiness there. I closed the book of desperation and brokenness I was writing. I have begun a new book. It started a little more than a year ago. I revisited some old chapters out of my old book and saw that it no longer pertained to my life. I discarded many characters and only kept a choice few (and some are still a mystery to me why they are there, but are very necessary characters regardless).
So a new book has began and it is full of new characters that light up my life and bring such a beautiful brightness into my heart. I have never felt to sure of my life. I have hopes and dreams now that have surfaced and been made clear. And as the days go on, the vision becomes as a diamond....sharp, to the point,clear, perfect, full of light and color. My goals are high, but now attainable. I have found someone to walk alongside me in life; that matches my step flawlessly.
I don't know how this next decade will turn out, so I won't try to lay out what I think may happen. I can say my grandparents are getting up there in age...My brothers are of marrying age and baby making age. My sister will come of age this decade too. My Dad is acting pretty serious about his new girl...who knows! If this new book rambles along at this course, there is the possibility of me getting be called Nana or something of the sort by the end of the next ten years. Pure speculation of course.
I can however tell you of my new years resolutions; as there are many. First and foremost, I will finish all of my schooling and obtain my degree in horticulture. I am gonna try to get some extra grant funding to finish off the extra 30 credits I need to get a degree opposed to a certificate. I am fasting and cleansing while Spencer goes to Cali next week (gotta get this holiday sugar/carb build-up outta me!). I plan to hit the gym, for my own sake and not a credit and slim down my waist as well as build my upper body strength.
I hope to get the kids more involved with my side of the family. And spend time in Seattle with Spencer's parents and see the scenes of Seattle. More trips to the beach and more time exploring the Portland nature trails. Maybe go to Mt. Hood in the summer and visit Mt. St. Helens (I have never been there).
I plan to get involved more with Parkinson's Resources of Oregon and joining their Young Adult Onset group for meetings. I'd like to involved with the Wild Cat Haven too.
Must get new couch! Maybe training lessons for the dog! Looking forward to my CWE and getting a good grip on what EXACTLY I am doing after graduation. I can't wait for Kyle to be back home and safe!
Mostly I am so excited to continue on as we are now. Loving life, loving the ones I spend my life with, loving that they love life with me too. This last year has been the most wonderful and happiest full year I can remember ever having (even with its couple of bumps along the way). If the past year is any indication of this next decade....I may just burst with delight!
To all of you who have shared your lives with me this past decade, whether through it all or just a short period of it; Thank you. You have played very important roles in my life and along my journey and I appreciate that you shared a piece of your own road with me. And to those of you who continue to be a part of my life, thank you for standing by me and thank you continuing to welcome me into your hearts.
To the one who has turned my world around and given me pleasure beyond my wildest dreams...words are too mundane, too simplistic, too unworthy to describe how grateful I am that you have become a part of my life. My very soul is awakened in your presence and there is nothing left wanting now that we are together. I love you Spencer.
Happy New Year's Everyone!

2009-03-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

2009-03-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

2009-03-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

2009-03-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

Photos, etc

2009-03-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

All pictures posted have been taken by me personally. If I want to share others pics I will direct you to there sites. All writing comes from my own hand, if I choose to quote it will be noted immediately after quote...wether it is a written quote or something someone said.
I do not claim any fame to my photos or writing, they are just some of my favorite past-times, not neccessarily anything I want to progress with.
XO