CounselingBlog

Saturday Photo

Here is an old photo of Poppy and Harriett taking a nap -

Men at Work

Not the singing group from Australia, but a great group of guys are working on my house.  Right now, they are sanding the front windows - with a really loud sander, and getting ready to paint all the wood surfaces.

I love the work they do - they are careful and do a good job - some of you have already commented on how great things look.  I am excited about it all.

The office is closed today, because it is pretty noisy around here, but we'll be open as usual beginning tomorrow.

Happy Monday everyone.

Cynthia

ps - here is Saturday's photo - a bit late...

This is Shadow - he lives in Cape Coral FL with my sister and brother-in-law.  He's a good cat.

Saturday Photo

Saturday Photo

Monday evening

I just finished dinner on the screened porch - outside, It is January 8th and it is warm.

I dined alfresco - no coats, no mittens, no sweaters needed. It is a lovely evening, the crickets are chirping - maybe they are cicadas - it is absolutely gorgeous.

I spent the day doing desk work, watering the gardens, and enjoying the fresh air.

Wherever you are, dear readers, I hope 2008 is off to a good beginning. I wish you a year filled with creativity, prosperity, good health and many blessings.

I am off to listen to the sound of the breeze through the trees..

Cynthia

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Cynthia McKenna Counseling
CounselingBlog

New York City & Me

Friday Night Lights & Holiday Stress

I am a fairly new fan of NBC's Friday Night Lights- it is supposed to be a drama about small town football. To me, it is a well written, beautifully acted drama about how people treat each other, and the common struggles we all share.

I love the show -

Tonight's episode will have something to do with truth-telling...when to tell, what to tell, and what happens when you do tell. It is an issue we all face, to a small or large degree. Even when we are committed to living with integrity, we still face decisions about how much to tell another - whether it be a "white lie" whatever that means, or intentionally hiding the truth...

I wonder how much Holiday Stress has to do with telling the truth. When we are in social situations, work parties, family gatherings, how much pressure do we feel to conceal our feelings and thoughts? Do we have to "go along to get along?" What do we imagine will happen if we tell our truth?

What are your thoughts? How do you navigate the waters of honesty?

Cynthia

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Cynthia McKenna Counseling
CounselingBlog

CounselingBlog is here

You know this blog is called CounselingBlog - but now, thanks to Chris Hartwell, you can find CounselingBlog at www.counselingblog.com

You can still get to this blog via www.counseling.typepad.com
and
now you can just type www.counselingblog.com and you'll have instant access to information on health, stress, relationships, depression and the every so often "completely unrelated to counseling" post.

Cynthia

At long last...

That is me with the great folks from the Apple Store at La Cantera - in case you are wondering, I heart my iPhone

iCynthia
**************
Cynthia McKenna Counseling
www.cynthiamckennacounseling.com
CounselingBlog

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I had the great privilege of going with Hazel Dewey to get her copy of the new Harry Potter book. Hazel is known to us all as Grandma, and she is a lot of fun.

She got to open the box of books at midnight and got the very first copy in Boerne, TX.

Way to go Grandma! I know you'll stay up all night reading, but I am off to bed.
Cynthia
*************
Cynthia McKenna Counseling
www.cynthiamckennacounseling.com

Hey SBU - Welcome!

I was checking out my Blog stats for CounselingBlog and I saw some referrers from sbu.edu A quick check told me that it is St. Bonaventure Uni in New York.

Looks like someone in the College of Education has listed me - or rather this blog - on their class syllabus. CounselingBlog is there as an example of an educational blog.

I think that is soooo cool.

Maybe I am touched by this because I have a bachelors and master's in education, so some bit of this excitement feels like old friends dropping by. Unfortunately, when I was getting my bachelor's, the first apple computers were in the library and there was no such thing as surfing around the www for a class.

Maybe it is just fun to have someone think about my blog and appreciate the posts.

Whatever the reason, to all of you @ SBU, welcome. I would love your feedback on the site, and any other comments you feel like making. Also, keep your eyes open for a guest blog post from the Pursue the Passion folks - They'll be stopping by fairly soon.

Cynthia
*************
Cynthia McKenna Counseling
www.cynthiamckennacounseling.com
210 557-1715

Sunday at home

Happy Mother's Day - here are some lovely bluebonnets I found yesterday while walking around the property

aka Lupinus texensis for you Latin lovers

Cynthia
*************
Cynthia McKenna Counseling
Healing relationships - one heart at a time
www.cynthiamckennacounseling.com

It's Here!

Well, I am about 3 weeks late, but I am starting my tomato plants today.  I grown mostly heirloom tomatoes, with seeds purchased through Seed Saver's Exchange and other organic sources, as well as seeds traded with other tomato lovers.

Isn't it a bit early to be talking about tomatoes?  Well, actually no.  In Texas, the growing season is short - we have until about the end of June to get good fruit set, then the plants wait until August to start setting fruit again - the July sun and temps are too intense for the pollen to survive.

So lots of people started their tomato seeds on Boxing Day, but with the renovations at home, I just couldn't get it done.

However, today is the day.  I am heading to Home Depot to pick up seed starting mix and by tonight, I'll be happily incubating some tomatoes.

I can't quite explain my love of tomatoes -it is a deep and true devotion.  You know how it goes, you see a lush tomato plant at a friend's house, or maybe your neighbor shares some of the largess of their crop...you taste that warm tomato flesh, and you want another...

It is absolutely an addiction with me.  I promised myself "no more store bought tomatoes" and only gave in one time this winter -

Store bought tomatoes are not the same creatures as home grown - I might even suggest they are a different species!  The varieties are selected to withstand transit and still have a perfect tomato shape.  They are also cultivated to withstand long periods of storage.  they are picked green, and then ripen, if that is what you can call it, along the way in cardboard boxes and grocery refrigerators. 

I don't like store bought tomatoes.  I think we should all grow our own tomatoes, or support local farmers and farmer's markets and buy up all their lovely tomatoes.

Heirloom tomatoes are different than hybrid tomatoes. 

Hybrids are cultivated to select for desirable properties - like really big tomatoes, or tomatoes perfect for sauces and canning.  there are some great hybrid varieties - Sun Gold and Early Wonder come to mind.  Hybrids are cross pollinated and then the seeds are grown out over several generations to make sure the crossing is stable (so if you are looking for Sun Gold you actually get that delicious little golden tomato - not red, not yellow)

Heirloom tomatoes are grown from seeds that have a history.  They often have stories like, "variety grown by my Russian grandfather" or "saved from tomatoes my Aunt Sue got from her husbands mother."  they have names like Earl of Edgecomb, Aunt Ginny's German Green, Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine, and Pink Ping Pong.  They don't come out perfectly shaped, some need to be eaten almost as quickly as you pick them because they don't store very well.  But oh my, are they delicious!  They even have a bit of a pedigree.  The seeds can be traced back to the person that had them first - that always amazes me.

Here is to the tomatoes of 2007 - I can't wait to taste them!

Just in case you want to know more about heirloom tomatoes, check out Tomatoville - and tell them I sent you !

Cynthia
*************
Cynthia McKenna, LPC, NCC
www.cynthiamckennacounseling.com

Happy New Year

I had a little tamale party over the weekend...

Doug & Cathy Ricketts getting ready

Doug Ricketts and Melanie Fain preparing artistic tamales

Using a great recipe from Chef Bobby Flay, we had a lot of fun and, more importantly, a lot of great food.

Tamales are an integral part of holiday celebrations in South-Central Texas.  However, tamales have always been a bit mysterious to me. 

The traditional recipe takes a lot of time effort, and experience to get the masa just right, and lots of hands to assemble the delicious bundles.

Bobby Flay's take on tamales is lighter, and certainly user friendly.

It was fun to participate in the tradition of tamales, and of course, a great pleasure to share holidays with friends.

Cynthia

Friday afternoon

The cool front that brought us more rain has also given us cool mornings and absolutely gorgeous days.

I am not one who loves the summer heat, but it is hard to imagine anything more lovely than autumn in the Texas Hill Country.

It's apple season, and American football season, and Halloween is drawing near..
I hope, wherever you are, you are able to enjoy the day. .

It all seems splendid
Cynthia

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www.cynthiamckennacounseling.com

Rats! I missed it.

Tuesday was a special kind of day and I missed it.
Darrrrrrrrrrrn.
September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Cynthia

Kitchen excitement

The Lemongrass Girls is a cool new blog that offers food writing, cooking tips, and generally great foodie information.

Dina, at www.wordfeeder.com invited me to be an honorary Lemongrass Girl - which really is an honor for me.  Dina and Ann are great writers and obvious lovers of food - so i am in fantastic company.

Check out the link and you can read about my new love, and while you are there, poke around a bit and see what other tidbits you can munch on.

Cynthia
*************
www.cynthiamckenna.com
CounselingBlog
Creating Healthy Relationships and oodles of cookies...

I am back...

I am still recovering from the Tour de France.  I had a great time watching it on my own Dish TV - The Tour was quite suspenseful.  With the race favorites being suspended, there was not a clear leader until day 18 of 20 days.  Lots of great moments, lots of awful crashes. 

I have to admit that I missed Lance.  The Tour was simply different without his personality and presence.  Oh sure, there were the "Lance Chronicles" and "Lance On" moments, but it isn't the same as watching him tear his way up the Pyrenees. 

There was a good side benefit from the Tour this year.  I have been working very long hours getting my private practice up and running (and it is going great - thanks!).  The Tour made me get out of my office and go watch TV.  I worked less these last weeks, and that helped me break the overworking cycle I was becoming accustomed to.

I am still no pomme de terre de divan (couch potato) but I am a bit less stressed, and a bit more clued in to the mainstream culture.

Cynthia
*************
Cynthia McKenna, LPC, NCC
Counseling & Life Coaching
www.cynthiamckennacounseling.com

Le Tour

The Tour de France (TdF) is underway.  With the announcement on 30 June that nine riders were suspended on a doping charge - and that included Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich - yikes.  As I read the news bulletin, I kept imagining it was some twisted prank.  But it is true, they are out, and under a cloud of suspicion.

All the commentators keep saying "this race is wide open now" which is really fun.  George Hincape had the mallot jaune for day 2 - way to go Discovery Channel.  If you like reading commentary on the TdF, check out The Paceline
It also contains Lance news, for those of us who can't read enough about him.

I generally read the newsflashes of Le Tour on my computer www.letour.fr because I don't have cable TV.  Great news though, Thursday Dish TV arrives at my house!    It will be so much fun to see the tour instead of simply reading about it.

Are you a Tour de France fan?  Who do you think will win?

Cynthia
*************
Cynthia McKenna LPC, NCC
Counseling & Life Coaching
Bring balance and joy back into your life
www.cynthiamckennacounseling.com
www.counseling.typepad.com

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Bella Creo

Last week, I had a chance to attend the openeing of Bella Creo Gallery.  Charles and Tami Kegley have created a beautiful gallery featuring some very interesting artists.

Gathered Friends:  Melanie Fain, Tami Kegley, Mike Coyle, Charles Kegley, and Linda Manning

Heirloom Tomatoes

One of my passions is growing Heirloom Tomatoes - I have around 20 varieties, and I am hoping for a BIG harvest this year.

Like most tomato growers, I anxiously await the first ripe tomato.  I plan when to pick it, how I will eat it, and most of all, how good it will taste. 

On Friday, I saw five almost-ripe tomatoes, and although the tomato experts (like Dr. Carolyn Male) say you can harvest them as soon as the color is 1/2 up the fruit, I decided to leave them on the vine.

Well, they are gone.  Disappeared!  The most likely culpret is Tallulah, my 2-year-old yellow Labrador.  She has a particular fondness for tomatoes, and though she hardly ever gets in trouble, i think she decided SHE needed the first tomatoes of the season.

If you want to learn more about heirloom tomatoes, I highly recommend, "100 Hierloom Tomatoes for the American Garden" - By Dr. Carolyn J. Male.

I am going to Tractor Supply later to get more fencing.