How We Spend Our Lives

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.”   ~Thomas Jefferson

We do not want to feel like this but it is a great thought don’t you think!

An Idea I came upon was that to find our rhythm, 

we should allocate our time with an arrangement of priorities.

So List all of you tasks for the week, those recurring, daily or weekly~ like checking email, work meetings, even quite time &  family time.

    Use your calendar ~Google offers a great free one~ 

Put everything into it and set reminders especially for those quiet time and family times. These are the MOST important ones.Perhaps even categorize them into sub lists each day, What you want is balance…no disproportionately hard busy days! Create continuity by scheduling like tasks together on the same day. But even more importantly take into consideration your energy levels. Say you’re a morning person or night person-schedule things accordingly.

List a time for each activity, knowing what you will be doing each part of your day & you have the ability to see how an unexpected event will change your plans, moving things around you still have a great overview and will feel in balance

How we spend our days is, of course how we spend our lives. Annie Dinard

How do you really want to spend your life…what do you want to do with your life…meditate on these things and incorporate them into your life slowly and you will feel like you are doing what you’re supposed to do.

e

Steamy & Hot Chocolat'

A perfect drink for a cold 1st day of Spring 

1 C  whole almonds, soaked overnight*

(or at least a few hours!)

2 C  water

3 Medjool dates, pitted

1 t vanilla extract or 1/3 of a pod

1 C  almond cream

1 C  very hot water

1 T cacao powder

1 T agave syrup

Soak almonds overnight.*

Drain and rinse almonds; put

them in a blender with water,

dates and vanilla. Blend until

smooth and creamy.

Drain resulting mixture through

a fine mesh cloth, a sieve or fine

colander.

Hot chocolate

To prepare two glasses of hot

chocolate, use 1 cup of almond

milk/creme, to which you add 1 cup

of very hot, but not boiling,

water.

Add 1 tablespoon cacao powder

and 1 tablespoon agave syrup;

mix well in blender.

The mixture will be smooth and

foamy for the greatest pleasure

of all eyes and taste buds!

For a spicy drink

Just add a pinch of cayenne pepper

(or chili powder), a pinch of

nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon

before blending.

Don’t wait to serve; enjoy by the

fireplace today while filling your calendar!

Balls in the air...

Do you ever feel like your life is truly a juggling act… having so many balls in the air at once. Each thing we are doing may be a different weight for you, (you may only need to care for it a few minutes per day like watering your plants or maybe 8 hours like your job) and we need varied efforts for each. If we forget an area, if we breathe, we may drop one and BOOM!  Down they all come!  Our health for example, if neglected, we won’t have the energy for working, which will affect our finances. Equally so is our spiritually, if that becomes stifled, our relationships crumble, which will impinge on our creativity, health and careers. They are intertwined, like a finely woven rug.  When properly weaved, it will last for a long time and look great.

It is imperative for a joyful life to keep balanced. Sometimes we feel doing so much is the norm, but considering all the ways we are pulled; work, children, personal relations, chores, errands, friends, family, finances, promises, health concerns, deadlines, and our own unfulfilled dreams and desires-

Which ultimately leaves very little reflection time, renewal of our spirit & mind, or recreation 

~the trinity of balance~

During this time of spring, the vernal equinox, when light & darkness find equal balance in the natural world, let’s consider our balance as well. Just as worms begin to emerge from the earth, ladybugs land on screen doors, green buds appear, birds chirp, and flowers begin to bloom. Let us emerge from our winter cocoons. Let’s find balance &contentment and think of it as a rite of passage, from winter to spring.

One of the delightful ways to find balance is to realize that not everything that needs to be done has to be done today! “Many tasks and issues in our lives will but take care of themselves if we will but let them” says AnneWilson Schaf “Impossible tasks that had to be accomplished immediately, looks very different tomorrow or next week. Often I have found that when others are pushing something as urgent, my best response is just to slow down.”

So, sit quietly, preferably with a cup of tea, do nothing, spring is coming and the grass grows by itself. I will delve into finding your rhythm in next week’s blog…

Try this while you wait:

Fresh Spring Mini Soup

A springtime version of the classic Italian minestrone,

 with peas, new potatoes, artichoke hearts, asparagus and spring greens!

Yield: Serves 4-6.

2 Tbsp olive oil

6 green onions

2 large garlic cloves

1 pound baby potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks

1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes, or fresh

1 quart vegetable or chicken stock

Sea Salt

1/2 pound artichoke hearts, fresh , chopped roughly

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas

1 cup peas fresh

1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 cups greens (dandelion, chard, spinach, kale, arugula, etc), sliced into thin ribbons

Up to 1/4 cup fresh pesto

Grated parmesan or pecorino cheese for garnish

1 Chop the green onions and green garlic and separate the white and light green parts from the green tops. If you are using regular garlic cloves, put them with the white parts of the green onions. Slice the potatoes and artichoke hearts into chunks you would want to eat with a spoon.

2 In a large pot set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the white parts of the green onions as well as the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, stir to combine and cook 1 minute.

3 Add the diced tomatoes with their liquid and the quart of vegetable or chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, add salt to taste, then cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

4 Add the artichoke hearts and cook another 5 minutes, then add the chickpeas and green peas and cook another 5 minutes. Remove the cover from the soup and add the asparagus. Cook 2 minutes. Add the greens and the green parts from the green onions and green garlic, if using. Stir well to combine and cook 1 minute.

5 Turn off the heat, and stir in the pesto. Serve topped with grated cheese.