7.30.2009

Home...


The Mr. and I are headed home to West Texas tonight! It is our first time home since the new year.
We're starting our weekend off early...


(Lubbock's thriving downtown)


Happy weekending!


:::

{images from wikipedia}

Look at what I just found!

Our photographer friend Evan Tardy posted this slideshow from the wedding of our friends {and cousins and cousins-in-law} Stephen and Callie. I filmed this wedding back in May, and have been working, amidst tons of other projects, to get the footage together. But in the meantime, here is Evan's excellent work:



If you look closely, you'll see Jacob's head pop up in some of the photos... he was the best man.

:::

7.29.2009

Holistic Health Endeavors: Body Brushing


The first thing that I ever read about body brushing was that it is good for your lymphatic system. "Great!" I thought, "I want a healthy lymphatic system!" However, I had no clue what a person's lymphatic system involved.

So, I researched it, and found that body brushing activates lymph circulation, which helps to clear out toxic debris and stimulate immunity. The other benefits of body brushing include the elimination of dead skin cells and improved skin hygiene. Also, the gentle pressure of body brushing is calming to the nervous system.

I bought a a sisal body brush on Amazon.com for around $6 and have been using it for a few weeks. So far I am enjoying the addition to my morning routine, which looks something like this: body brush from toe to head in circular motions, followed up with a shower, pat dry, then coconut oil. Smooth, glowing skin.

:::

7.27.2009

Holistic Health Endeavors: Coconut Oil


I like to try new things. That is a blanket statement for the various mini-adventures I get myself, or my husband, into on a weekly to monthly basis. My most recent endeavors have involved subjecting myself to various holistic hygienic experiments.

First was the organic deodorant which lasted approximately a week in our bathroom until our stench finally provoked me into throwing it out.

I have found, needless to say, a few of these beauty finds are worth sticking to, keeping around, and trying them out for a long period of time in order to examine their full long-term potential.

One of these such finds is coconut oil. I started using this stuff about 2 months ago as a replacement to normal body lotion.

Once you get past the sensation that you are basting yourself like a Thanksgiving turkey, it really is quite an enjoyable beauty treatment. Your skin glows after you put it on and remains this way for up to a few hours after it has soaked in. I use it on my face as well. Haven't had a single breakout or pimple. Just smooth, moisturized, and glowing skin.

I'm still testing the long-term potential, but after 2 months of use, I give coconut oil a thumbs up.

:::

7.24.2009

Happy Weekend!


Long live well-mannered frivolity. Happy weekend, World!
[photo taken by Jacob's mom, Donna, two weekends ago at an antique shop in Dallas]

The Acupuncturist


OUR FIRST ACUPUNCTURE EXPERIENCE

Last Friday, Jacob attended his first acupuncture appointment.

You see, since childhood, Jacob has suffered from asthma. He of course has medications, in the form in inhalants, that he has been prescribed that prevent asthma attacks from occurring and can also stop an asthma attack once it has already started. Up until recently this dependency on his medication seemed to be the only way to control his asthma for now and forever.

We first became interested in acupuncture about two months ago, when I received a GOOP newsletter on the subject. Our interest was piqued when, specifically in the newsletter, the acupuncturist spoke of her success with asthmatic patients.

As time progressed and we continued to think about and research acupuncture, we finally decided to give it a try. We made an appointment with Roger Stainbrook, the in-house acupuncturist at American Power Yoga, a yoga studio at which Jacob and I have practiced a bit of yoga, employs credible and experienced instructors, and is successful and known in the Dallas area.

:::

Not knowing exactly what to expect, Jacob and I, with a healthy bit of skepticism, entered the Energy Balancing Center last Friday, ready for Jake's appointment.

The first thing Roger did was gather information about Jacob's condition. He did this by asking questions and by feeling Jacob's pulse points on his wrists.

After gathering some basic knowledge on the condition and Jacob's physiology, Roger explained that asthma is really a symptom or side-effect of a deeper underlying issue; an "allergy" to something Jacob is either consuming, inhaling, touching, or what have you.

So, Roger began testing Jacob for allergies to find out what is causing his asthma to occur. And this is when it really became interesting. This is when my eyes started to peek open to the concept that, perhaps, Western medicine is limited in its ability to treat and heal. And not only that, but also that maybe there are other avenues of medicine that can treat in ways that Western medicine cannot.

As I watched the testing, I couldn't help but be extremely intrigued about the things the acupuncturist was revealing about Jacob's body. Roger discovered that Jacob has allergies to Vitamin C and sugar, and that these allergies are affecting the functions of his heart and his stomach, which directly affect his lungs. So, when Jacob consumes anything containing Vitamin C or sugar, which are two unavoidable nutrients, his lungs are adversely affected.

This is where the needles come in, literally. 8 needles in the feet, legs, wrists, and hands.

The first to be eliminated was the Vitamin C allergy. That's right, eliminated. So, this was our first step. And at Jacob's next appointment, he will eliminate the sugar allergy, which should be quite an adventure. So, it will be after appointment number 2 that we will see how successful this all turns out to be.

:::

AMANDA'S CAT ALLERGY

The experience was so intriguing, in fact, that I had to experience the needles for myself. So at 10:00 a.m. today, I had MY first acupuncture appointment. During the food allergy testing, we found that I have only a slight food allergy to nuts. Boring.

During the appointment I mentioned that I am allergic to cats. As a child I was not allergic, but suddenly sometime during college I developed a pretty severe and annoying allergy to felines.

So, Roger handed me a container of cat hair and dander and tested the allergy. He discovered that I have an emotional allergy that affects my brain and liver.
I know it sounds weird:
I have an emotional** allergy to cats.

It probably stems from my childhood when my dad (on two separate occasions and with two separate cats) secretly took my pet cat to the pound while I was out of town. Traumatic!

Anyway, in one week I will report back on this cat allergy, and on Jacob's sugar and Vitamin C allergies and we will see what has become of it, and if the acupuncture has worked. On Friday we are going home to Lubbock and I will inevitably have cat interaction.

:::

**Here is an example of how an emotional allergy forms: [True Story] A man comes into an acupuncturist with chronic back pain in his upper back and shoulders. The acupuncturist runs tests and finds out the man has a pear (yes, the fruit) allergy at the emotional level. Well, how is this related to his back pain? You can trace back an emotional allergy to what year the allergy developed. And, in this case the man's allergy occurred when he was 8 years old. Incidentally, when the man was 8 he fell out of a pear tree in his backyard and landed on his back/shoulder while holding a pear in his hand. Well, the man's body related the pain that he felt in his back and shoulder to the pear in his hand. So, later in life when the man is near or eats pears back pain ensues. And pear juice is used in many artificial sweeteners in processed foods. So there you are.

:::

Acupuncture image found at freshsolutions.org

7.23.2009

What an Entrance!

I would love to film a wedding where the processional went something like this:

7.22.2009

Well, the test is over...


...and it went very well.
Thanks to all who kept Mr. Boyd in your thoughts & prayers!
..

7.21.2009

GRE


For at least two months now, Jacob has been studying for the GRE, or the Graduate Record Examination. Today, at 12:00, he takes the exam. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers today around lunchtime while he is in the midst of the test.

7.15.2009

Celebration!



Hallelujah! After months of searching, it has happened! I was so happy, I cried. What a blessing! We have gotten used to living on so little that I didn't realize what kind of an impact another full time salary would have on our lives, on how we save, on how we give, on how we invest our resources.

Whew.

Dang Economy, we have triumphed! Praise the Lord.


7.14.2009

Leeetle Goggles

Jacob found some little goggles laying beside our apartment pool yesterday evening, and wore them while he and our friend, Jeff, played water volleyball. We told Jacob to smile for this photo, and all he did was stick his tongue out and give a floppy wave.

He's such a cutie. Silly, but a cute silly.

7.10.2009

Greg & Virginia

Jacob and I were given the lovely opportunity of filming and editing the wedding video for our newly married friends Greg & Virginia Tamplen. Here is a snippet of some moments from the reception.

Virginia & Greg [highlights] from Amanda Michelle Boyd on Vimeo.


Got an event coming up?


7.09.2009

Records

Last night Jacob alphabetized his record collection. We had a pleasant evening listening to old records as we wound down for the night.

7.08.2009

At the Office

About once a week, the husband visits me at my workplace. We go to lunch and we will hang out in my office for a bit, and then he'll leave. It really brightens the day. He's coming to visit me today, in fact!





{Photos from around my workplace}

7.07.2009

Summertime

Here's to standing up in the tube, while riding doubles.

(image from 4th of July 2009, Maddie and Jacob)

7.06.2009

Music & Dancing

4th of July Eve we hung out with a bit of family. Music happened, and everyone danced, especially Uncle Mike, in the yellow. We had a blast hanging out with some of the Wood/Olson bunch.







(Photos taken at the Wildcatter Ranch Resort in Graham, TX)

7.03.2009

Happy 4th



7.01.2009

Yogis