LOL

No, it's not the popular acronym that you're think of, laugh out loud, it stands for Live On Less. It's been a popular phrase lately in the Mayotte household. A couple of weeks ago at a Lydia meeting, the human rights group Mark and I volunteer with, Sandie, the founder was talking about her experience living in Greece. After 13 years of living overseas she was shocked to move back to see how much excess we live in.
This is an obvious concept to anyone with the slightest awareness. And I have always tried to remain conscious of my consumption and waste, but Mark and I have made it into a game in our house, to see who can come up with the most Eco friendly idea. Here are a couple:

-Burying our dogs waste to naturally biodegrade instead of throwing it away to fill up already over-full land fills.
-Hang drying our clothes on the clothes line
-Saving left-overs and making new meals with them
-Shopping primarily at thrift stores for clothes, furniture, art, or presents, or trading clothes at vintage shops
-Trading old CDs for new ones
-Picnics at the park/beach/anywhere instead of eating out
-The crock pot
-Making gifts instead of buying

These are just a few fun ideas, post some if you have some other ideas!

Some haunting facts...

-one million children each year are exploited in the global commercial sex trade

-50% of all trafficking victims worldwide are children

-70-95% of the women in prostitution were sexually assaulted and/or raped according to a study of nine countries

-50% of HIV-infected children, in the absence of any treatment, die by their second birthday

-2.3 million girls and women work as prostitutes and madams in India

-2,000 girls are rescued from sex-slavery each year in India

-200,000 persons are trafficked into, within or through India anually

-$400 million in revenue is generated in Bombay's red-light district

I don't really know where to start...

After spending a much-needed summer in Oregon, Mark and I are back in the OC. I don't really know how else to explain it but we just knew we needed to have some refuge away from the fast-paced living in So Cal. We knew two things we were looking forward to in Oregon, Family and space. Suprisingly, what we were looking for in Oregon, we found in Tustin.

We are living in a cute little 20s house in Old Town Tustin. We have 3 bedrooms, a backyard and an orchard. That's our space. As for family, my little sister decided she couldn't get enough of Mark and I this summer and followed us back to Orange County. She is living with us and going to school at Biola to become a Nurse. It's amazing how all this worked out, just not in the way that I had imagined. It has been so great having family close, but also being in the place that we love, close to all of our friends.

Mark is loving his new job. He is learning great leadership as a Supervisor for a local carpenter and really enjoying working on our house, his basketball league and watching college football.

As for me, I am currently working with a local non profit called Lydia Today: http://www.lydiatoday.org/, which I am very excited about and also volunteering with a group of special needs girls.

More thoughts to come...

Rest in Peace

William Smith

1981-2007

my girls...

It's quite an odd thing to be sad and excited at the same time. I am at such a crossroads here. Any time spent with friends takes me to a place of sadness and depression knowing that I will never find friends like this anywhere. And yes, I know, they will always be my best friends. But it's quite different to be a part of the daily happenings in each others lives.



I will miss...

shopping at Goodwill with Tawny...

drinking too much wine and then trying to sew with the "domesticated" girls...

many breakfasts at Gypsy Den...

double-dates with Crystal and Sam...

laying poolside at Martinique...

all the journaling and tea drinking...

bounce house at Dawson street...

random road trips to Joshua tree...

cooking ethnic foods together...

bike rides...

dancing with my girls...

praying for each other...

late night talks from our hearts...

reminiscing...

Positano, Italy and bathing in the Mediterranean...

laughing...

painting, scrap booking, writing and trying to study...



I love you girls! You are my best friends and my sisters!

Blessings...

Ask anyone, I'm not a raging optimist. An Idealist, yes. But I definitely feel the ups and downs of life and I don't like to sugarcoat anything. But lately I just can't help but smile at all of the beautiful blessings around me. How about a list:

So it's official...

Mark and I are packing up our things (what little we have left after selling most of our furniture) and we're headed up north to Oregon.

I'm sure that there will be many questions as to why the sudden change (and yes, it is VERY sudden)...but I'm still not really sure why. I love it here! Granted, I don't love Orange County. But I love my job. I love my community. I love my friends and all the quality time. and the beach and wonderful weather...that should be enough reason to stay, huh? We'll tell that to the Big Man (GOD). Over the last couple of weeks Mark and I have had this feeling that we're to move on. I'm not sure why, or even how long, maybe just for the summer. We just know that it's time for change.

More to come...