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.

Eschatology

:Doctrines about death and its aftermath: 

the body of religious doctrines concerning the human soul in its relation to death, judgment, heaven, and hell.

This is a word I looked into...it struck a cord with me. It is something I've struggled with...in my life , in the past and now...

If there is a promised land and we are seeking that...working hard and long and never, ever rest because our main task is to get there..we cannot rest, we are in ungodly territory, the land of suffering and tribulation(according to some religious teachings), and the sooner we get into the good and perfect future-the better off we will all be.

But there is no place to go. Every time we finally reach the future, it vanishes into the present. We strain toward the future, never stopping to see where we are, never pausing to taste the fruits of our labor.

 Our true nourishment will come when we are successful, when we are rich, when we are saved, when it is our turn. Thus, satisfaction and delight are forever just out of reach!

So we despoil our nest, we ruin our air and soil, because it is all dispensable, we will not be here long, because here is no good, it is not where we are GOING...where we are going is good, holy, free, pure and perfect, it is not here...

Is this progress? Only when we can lie in green pastures and be led to still waters as the Psalmist says...and allow our soul to be nurished? Isn't this the psalm we sing when one dies?

BUT ~What if we are not going anywhere?  What if we are simply living and growing within an ever-deepening cycle of rhythms and seasons, perhaps getting wiser, perhaps learning kindness, passing what we learn to our children.

What if our life is a time when we are blessed with both saddness and joy, health and disease, courage and fear- and all the while we work , pray, and love, knowing that the promised land we seek is already present in the very gift of life itself...

What if this life is itself the jewel in the lotus, the treasure hidden in the field, the pearl of great price?

What if all the way to heaven is heaven?

The gifts of grace and delight  are present and abundant; the time to live and love and give thanks and rest and delight is now, this moment, this day.  Rest in the arms of the divine. We do not have miles to go before we rest, sleep, play, love...Take time now; we are already home.

“Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed; if we permit the last virgin forests to be turned into comic books and plastic cigarette cases; if we drive the few remaining members of the wild species into zoos or to extinction; if we pollute the last clear air and dirty the last clean streams and push our paved roads through the last of the silence . . .”
― Wallace Stegner, The Sound of Mountain Water

Set aside a period of time, alone or with someone close to you and walk, bike, sail, nap----anything that allows you, your body to be soothed by the nourishment of the earth. Spend as much time as possible in silence....
I need this, as I am feeling anxious...like I need to do things, get this or that done...but I don't know why..do I just need to be with me???

Yes

and Here is a new recipe to try

Save the Tuna Salad on Rye - KrisCarr.com

Repose of the Soul

Fear is a hard thing, it creeps up on you silently. You cannot see it in yourself unless you stop and think about it. But most of the time we don’t do this. We keep going and going with the next thing on our list. We’ll I've decided to start meditating and I think I can face my fears through this process. They will slowly disappear because I will be in a better place mentally. How to meditate , that is the question. I think it is just being with thyself. Quietly breathing slowly and steadily and trying not to think. Just be quietly, listening to your mind flow and let it go. Hope I’m right here. I will also start to pray again. I have left the “Christian” path to find healing for myself and my pain. I know there is more to my spirituality that the Church. And I found no solace there, so I  am on a new path, albeit a slow one. It has been over 5 years since I left Church and haven't had the desire to seek anything new until now…May I find what I am looking for within this new way of eating, by clearing the toxins and over load in my body to a cleaner path for my mind and body and Soul. Repose  of the Soul...

• Do you meditate? Please share your experience with me , post a comment please, I'd love to hear from you.

Green Juice is a wonderful elixir, full of freshness and life force, straight from the earth. I had a deliriously Delicious one last evening (with my 7yr. old daughter too)and woke up refreshed and energized!! 


Juice a bunch of kale, some celery, a few apples, a lemon with the peel, and 2 cucumbers....absolutely refreshing

I will be creating my vision board for the new year as well and will post it here when I'm done

A Vacation, Going on Holiday, A Get-Away, R&R, Going on a Retreat, The Great Escape…

  A Vacation, Going on Holiday, A Get-Away, R&R, Going on a Retreat, The Great Escape…

These are the terms used when we want to have some Rest & Relaxation. So it seems that we usually do these things during the summer months, its much warmer and nicer weather to be outside. Do you go to a beautiful sandy beach, a quiet tranquil wood cabin, a city night on the town, visit exotic locals that you don’t see on a daily basis?

Would it not be nicer for us to treat ourselves to some of this wonderful reprieve day after day? A romancing of the ordinary if you will…The daily grind can become overwhelming for many if you don’t have a little to look forward to, you could become depressed, sad, lonely, angry or bitter by not having some fun in your life in a more regular way.

And did you get what

You wanted from this life, even so?

I did.

And what did you want?

To call myself beloved, to feel myself

beloved on the earth.

-Raymond Carver

“Late Fragment”

We even think of others so much more than ourselves sometimes that when we do have more time for ourselves, we wonder what to do. What can fill this space…

I’ve always been intrigued with Journaling. Although not able to do much of this lately, I know it helps to unlock, release, to get to know the real you. Finding hope in your life, you see what your dreams are once again and you can plan little times for you, just you. Feeling refreshed afterward like a Vacation would, but in a simpler way.

I’ve always wanted to be an artist. I never went to school for it, but it is a gift that I have. I have supplies galore and try to fit it into my days although not very successfully. This is something that I need quiet time for and inspiration as well. With a bustling house full of kids, activities and things to do I never get to it.

I had an idea to put these two things together…and wouldn’t you know it, more ideas on the internet…

Keeping a Painting Creativity Journal

What should you put in a creativity journal and why should you make one?

By Marion Boddy-Evans, About.com Guide

http://painting.about.com/cs/inspiration/a/paintingjournal.htm

I will be sorting through my things and putting together my own art journal. I want to keep this in my life and continue to grow in my art. Something for me.

 In the mean time I have to cook and prepare food daily for the family so I have found a reprieve in that. I find I enjoy this very much, especially when not rushing for time. I find delight in new recipes and new ways to get the best nutrition into my family.

 Raw food is something I am captivated with. Although challenging to incorporate into the daily dishes I serve, I keep trying.

Perhaps a small retreat you can give yourself is a quiet  picnic alone…when was the last time you did that? It is a sure way to restore a sense of innocent wonder ~ in a shady lane or a park, by the lake, on a riverbank or a hillside. Some place where it’s green and leafy. Although both occur in open air, a picnic is not to be confused with eating outdoors. We eat outdoors on the patio, deck, or in the backyard, and during the warm summer months, we should try to do it as often as we can. We picnic away from our home, and even in the summer we don’t seem to do it often enough. Do they seem like productions? A bit of planning doesn’t mean a three ring circus. Picnics posses romance and ritual-the day, the place, the menu, the accoutrements, the clothes, the blanket, the companion, the keep-in-minds, and don’t forgets. But there is a splendid reward for she who delights in the ceremony of the picnic. What comes to my mind is the old pictures of famous artist of pictures of families picnicking on the edge of the water.

Where shall you go? Somewhere a little AWAY FROM THE ROUTINE THAT;S Picturesque, quaint, or charming. Is there a place you’ve often thought “that would be a great spot for a picnic.” If no place immediately pops into your mind, pretend you’re a scout for the movies or a painter. You want a spot with a view that doesn’t include power line, satellite dishes etc.. Somewhat a secluded spot with level ground and  a fair balance of shade and sun. Near a tree is idyllic. Imagine having a picnic on every vacation you take and knowing the nooks and crannies in locals from Kansas to Kenya?

What to lie on the ground? Take an old soft blanket (and a plastic liner if the ground may be damp) and lay it out on the ground, pillows are optional for some but two is preferred. Spread a table cloth and a vase for wildflowers to pick later.

“I wish my life could look like it was out of a magazine or a movie, just once.” Well it can, occasionally, and a picnic is one of those times.

The menu. Simple is best. Try salad, a light sandwich, cheese, bread,pickles, snacks, pie or cake and maybe a nice bottle of wine or special beverage of choice. Something that can withstand the warm weather.  Do you have a hamper for your possessions? Easily found at a thrift store with assorted fine china, cutlery, real glasses, linens, can all be placed in a type of picnic basket. It is a delightful indulgence and hobby for the summer. It can be there and ready, and deciding to go on a picnic seems so much simpler and light hearted. You can have a companion of course, a person, child, pet, book, or journal or art supplies! It’s nice to have someone or something to share your thoughts with. But it’s also refreshing to be able to hear your own. (So, no cell phones on.)

Keep in mind and don’t forget some essentials though. Paper towels, damp sponge, plastic bag, napkins and even bug spray and a first aid kit. A little trick is to Take an extra plate and pile it with something sweet and walk it about thirty feet away from your spot, and let the bees and wasps have their own picnic.

Bring a light jacket or weather, umbrella, bottle opener and pocket knife. Always take extra water.

Let me know how your experience with this is. A nice retreat from the daily lives we live. Nothing too fancy or far or expensive But may be worth its weight in gold to our health and well being.

Curried Egg Salad Tea Sandwich

Directions

Mix 3 chopped hard-boiled eggs, 3 tablespoons each chopped celery, red onion and cilantro, 2 teaspoons each Dijon mustard and lime juice, and 1/4 cup mayonnaise.

Cut white bread into pieces and spread with mango chutney.

Sandwich with the egg salad.

Not Potato Salad
Salad:

• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 Jicama, chopped into small cubes or 5 zucchini or squash, peeled and diced
• 1 Turnip or other root veggie cubed
• 1⁄2 lemon pickled cucumbers, chopped

Mac Mayo:

• 2 cups macadamias or cashews, soaked in filtered water
• 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
• 1 chunk of onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 date or 1 tablespoon agave nectar or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard or powered mustard
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper

Put the macadamias into a strong blender or Vita-Mix Blender, add:

• lemon juice
• date or Agave Nectar,
• chunk of onion
• garlic clove

Blend with just enough water to blend, create a thick mayo base.
Next, take a tablespoon of mac mayo in a bowl adding:

• 1 teaspoon mustard,
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Agave
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

and stir. Making a prepared mustard for mac mayo.

Now back in the blender add:

• the prepared mustard you made
• cumin
• fresh thyme
• dried dill
• sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper

Blend a second time into a smooth thick mixture adding a little water if necessary to blend easier (but not too much). You may have to stop the blender a few times and tamp the mixture down.
Transfer the macadamia mayo to a bowl then add the Jicama (or zucchini) and veggies, stir together.

Lemon-Pickled Cucumbers: Instead of pickles

In a glass jar add:

• 1 large cucumber or 3 pickling cucumbers, sliced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon of dried dill
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• water to fill the jar Soak overnight or more.

Enjoy!

Raw Divine Dish~ Laura

Birds

Writing…….

Journaling………

Thinking………….

Quietness…………..

Being with yourself……….

Relaxing………………….

Listening to nature around you…..birds….

do you hear them??? I do.

 Each morning they start singing and wake me, and then through out the day, if I’m home, I hear them and listen.  Whether you live in the city or county birdsong is meant to be a healing balm. Have our ears gone deaf to their charms? What cheeping and cooing are outside your window? Look for their nests tucked into branches while out for a walk.  Put up a feeder so they can serenade you.

Lets delight for the first time in the natural wonders we are too blind to see or too deaf to hear, pretending to be grown ups. Birdsong is delightful, let’s throw out our impressions of what a bird watcher is and delight in them in our way.

Do we do these things enough? I do not think we do because there is so much stress in our lives and it is affecting us in a negative way. I recently became aware again of my blood pressure. So, I took the necessary steps naturally to care for myself. I am also committed to exercising aerobically at least 2 X a week which is more that none.

 I feel so good for having done just that little bit for myself. I could easily be upset that I didn’t do more, but I need to give myself credit for what I AM doing and so do you.

Maybe by starting to take moments for ourselves in the above ways, We can become more aware of our successes, small as they may be.

I also have been on a raw diet for awhile now (over a year) and I haven’t been diligent with it. Change is so hard. But I am coming to the conclusion that I am on a journey and it only gets better, I keep going one foot in front of the other. I am blessed to have been aware of the changes I can make and continue to move towards them and not regret any mistakes on the way. Don’t we learn from the mistakes we make? I always believed that, I teach that to my children.

Things I am thankful for today are, I am on a good path in my life, I eat healthier than I ever have, I have a few good friends and wonderful family. I enjoy my life now more that I could ever have imagined, I love my husband & my kids and try to give them the best of me. I hear the sounds around me everyday; I smell the flowers and walk barefoot in the garden and in the mossy grass under my maple tree. I’m enjoying my work and friendships there and I am continuing to work on my art. I’m considering health coaching as a future endeavor and traveling more… my life long dream.

What are your dreams? Do you have any? If you don’t I think you should get one. And work toward it.

 We only have one life to live…..Enjoy it…Like the birds do…..Sing and be cheerful.

Zesty Spring Asparagus

fresh young asparagus
essential blend oil or other living oilCeltic sea salt
mild cayenne powder
Bragg's Liquid Amino

Drop asparagus into hot tap water or lightly steam for under 3 minutes, so they are brilliant green.  Arrange onto platter and drizzle over the oil and Bragg's, sprinkle on salt and cayenne.