tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49588827286991046512024-03-05T11:47:32.982-08:00Like A Flower Unfolding“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces—
just good food from fresh ingredients.” - Julia ChildSenior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-67207553485973980802023-09-25T09:32:00.002-07:002023-09-25T09:32:29.594-07:00<p> I was in the hospital receiving nutrition from a pict line in my right arm when my GI doc delivered the news that I had Crohn's Disease. </p><p><br /></p><p>My first reaction was one of relief...at last, after years of searching and testing, I had an answer to what was wrong with me. My feeling of relief lasted several weeks. With it came the thought, "It's not my fault!"</p><p>Not my fault that I have Crohn's Disease, but much more than that...not my fault that, due to the overwhelming fatigue and joint pain I'd been experiencing for years, that I could not volunteer anymore, do many of the activities I enjoyed anymore...like hiking (of course, I am in Northern Illinois...not much hiking up here anyway)...not my fault that working full-time was too exhausting and I could not keep up with the housework.</p><p>For years I had counted myself a failure for all of the above. Now, lying in that hospital bed, too weak to even sit up by myself, I felt free. To be continued.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMU300E5ww4ccprCqvTjUuPb-cwiyHUZ79iNDIZjURDnp5YLghHvM36j8LQLFmcbbEFbQEz8-QlYHBuDYc78i7UVGliYPvdnMTT72UqzxnLDnp5hnSryF5_UfOMo2kx1AVrGnNMitO6fUogNOlW2LlJOM7UuHe3PnN4xLllH035zc6w00i1aI4GdNfRA/s1080/FB_IMG_1694017017238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMU300E5ww4ccprCqvTjUuPb-cwiyHUZ79iNDIZjURDnp5YLghHvM36j8LQLFmcbbEFbQEz8-QlYHBuDYc78i7UVGliYPvdnMTT72UqzxnLDnp5hnSryF5_UfOMo2kx1AVrGnNMitO6fUogNOlW2LlJOM7UuHe3PnN4xLllH035zc6w00i1aI4GdNfRA/s320/FB_IMG_1694017017238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-62245607216169921652010-02-15T07:24:00.000-08:002010-02-15T09:15:13.858-08:00I Beat Those Eggs Like A Dog Was Chasing Me, and I Ate Paczki For Breakfast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhkqQ5NjbzQ-INobStskdkAjaYROQ6TnZ4pcB147c3UO5HoCX91yCi2o0aXwBEa8F2pjhMg52_9ePhyfSTuMMyIEoxkEOaCtEOGYXcHEekGLJSAtGPFotcIYRyh2JPPUi86_SyC5K2AY/s1600-h/Picture+or+Video+061.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhkqQ5NjbzQ-INobStskdkAjaYROQ6TnZ4pcB147c3UO5HoCX91yCi2o0aXwBEa8F2pjhMg52_9ePhyfSTuMMyIEoxkEOaCtEOGYXcHEekGLJSAtGPFotcIYRyh2JPPUi86_SyC5K2AY/s320/Picture+or+Video+061.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438517600426081762" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfxW35a_pid8UO5ygdPk4ylFiRF_LL4f1cywOU2kHIEYiJk_5g9B8_2fQyRgLfpzCM2b_8NyZNcfINVXlJf-NpES4W4t4gL5Ir1ubz1PjmRbUuqT5HNQpDI1WrGmfgRJBNvjjgI0hf2Y/s1600-h/Picture+or+Video+059.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfxW35a_pid8UO5ygdPk4ylFiRF_LL4f1cywOU2kHIEYiJk_5g9B8_2fQyRgLfpzCM2b_8NyZNcfINVXlJf-NpES4W4t4gL5Ir1ubz1PjmRbUuqT5HNQpDI1WrGmfgRJBNvjjgI0hf2Y/s320/Picture+or+Video+059.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438517275329707170" /></a><br />It was a big weekend for food at our house. Not only was Valentine's Day yesterday, Chicago Man's birthday was on Friday the 12th.<br /><br />Because we had spent an exciting but tiring day at the Nashville Antiques and Garden Show (www.antiquesandgardenshow.com) on Thursday the 11th, we kept it low key on his actual birthday. Friday afternoon we found paczki at Wal-Mart in Ashland City (of all places), so I got a free pass for not preparing a birthday dessert on the actual day, and we had a flatbread pesto pizza from Trader Joe's for dinner (www.traderjoes.com).<br /><br />Paczki (pronounced punch-key), are Polish custard- or jelly-filled donuts served on Fat Tuesday, to use up the sugar and lard that will not be eaten during Lent. The tradition dates back hundreds of years. In Germany, paczki are called Berliners, so you might have had them under that moniker. Since there are only a handful of Polish-heritage people in the Nashville area, finding these treats from Chicago Man's childhood in Nashville, much less Ashland City, seems like a culinary miracle! We were so excited we purchased two boxes, one chocolate iced with custard filling and one powdered sugar with raspberry filling. Chicago Man had a chocolate paczki for his birthday desset, and we have had the raspberry paczki for breakfast. Here is the link to a youtube video about paczki, which originally aired on CBS Sunday Morning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhVUjar905E.<br /><br />Saturday we drove down to Franklin. Franklin is far enough from Ashland City in distance (about an hour on the interstate), and character, that it seems like a mini-vacation. The Franklin Farmer's Market (www.franklinfarmersmarket.org) is open during winter, but it was darn cold and windy Saturday morning so we didn't linger. We purchased some hot Italian sausage from West Wind Farms (www.westwindfarms.com) and some Kenny's Farmhouse cheese, and then strolled through The Factory (www.factoryatfranklin.com). I was excited to see an artwork display that included beautiful paintings by my friends, Bonnie Brown and Charlotte Helleqvist! Each of these special friends have their own unique painting styles; Charlotte's is nature-based, reflecting her Swedish heritage, and Bonnie paints in a folk art style similar to Grandma Moses.<br /><br />For lunch, we went to our favorite downtown Franklin eatery, Puckett's Grocery (www.puckettsgrocery.com). We've been going to the original Puckett's in Leiper's Fork for years. Both locations have that wonderful, Williamson County blugrass ambiance that I can't even find words to describe...you just have to experience it. Puckett's in downtown Franklin was packed Saturday at noon, but we managed to get a table after only a 10-minute wait. We did not even need to look at the menu: we both got pulled pork sandwiches on corn cakes, with slaw "Memphis style", and sweet potato fries. Yum!<br /><br />Saturday dinner was supposed to be light, since we'd had a hearty lunch, but turned out to be "doctored up" frozen Red Baron pizza. If you get the 4-cheese classic or fire-baked crust, then add pepperoni, extra cheese, and fresh mushrooms, it's darn good pizza. For the South, that is.<br /><br />Sunday, the weather kept us in. Since we hadn't been eating too healthy, I decided to fix an egg casserole from the book, Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat by Dr. Michelle May (www.amihungry.com). It was savory, light, and healthy, and here is the recipe:<br /><br />8 eggs<br />1/2 cup light sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)<br />1/2 cup low fat milk<br />1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese<br />1/2 cup red or green pepper, finely chopped<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1/8 tsp pepper<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees<br /><br />Spray an 8" baking dish or 9" round pie pan with non-stick cooking spray<br /><br />Combine ingredients, pour into dish, and bake 25-35 minutes or until middle is set. <br />I added canned mushrooms to ours, plus some dill which is great with eggs. You could also add ham, green chilies, or whatever else sounds good to you!<br /><br />And since yesterday was a quiet, stay-at-home day plus Valentine's Day, I made a combo birthday/Valentine's dessert that is full of chocolately goodness (as they say on Food Network). In fact, I was inspired to make this dessert while watching Worst Cooks In America on the Food Network (www.foodnetwork.com) a few weeks ago. It's easy, but has a huge wow factor. I got my recipe from www.famousfrenchdesserts.com, and it is called Best Chocolate Lava Cake:<br /><br />6 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate<br />6 oz butter, diced, room temperature<br />3 eggs<br />1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />1/3 cup flour<br />butter for ramekins<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350<br /><br />Melt chocolate in bain-marie (water bath; double boiler)<br /><br />When melted, remove from heat and stir in butter<br /><br />In another bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture starts to whiten (on Worst Cooks In America, Rachel, who was the winner, was urged by her chef mentor, Anne Burrell, to "beat those eggs like you mean it." I prefer the description given by a recent Chopped competitor who said, "I beat those eggs like a dog was chasing me!"<br /><br />Stir in melted chocolate/butter mixture, and then stir in flour<br /><br />Pour into four buttered ramekins and cook for 10 minutes.<br /><br />Tip ramekins upside down on dessert plates and enjoy!<br /><br />I made these lava caked around lunchtime and I am not ashamed to say that after dinner all four were gone! However, I am glad that today is a new day, and I will be having a salad at lunch!Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-72155488327392108292010-02-07T12:12:00.000-08:002010-02-07T12:31:52.592-08:00The Saints Go Marching In, and Wings!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiJphQOSwywlpMJ4_qGnv9p0M0ni6M6Q8GkzFm3gOg8wqRIngkwl1yT8evTPGKO6pb3ot4djdtwjtyv16K237QTjGTVvRMRCu4SAvznHLHgvwlHIFVyD8mRqVKe9vEv4_Sr6ACWpZNOM/s1600-h/food+033.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiJphQOSwywlpMJ4_qGnv9p0M0ni6M6Q8GkzFm3gOg8wqRIngkwl1yT8evTPGKO6pb3ot4djdtwjtyv16K237QTjGTVvRMRCu4SAvznHLHgvwlHIFVyD8mRqVKe9vEv4_Sr6ACWpZNOM/s320/food+033.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435601125464287010" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5aoPTiHVTzeXbxiZd_5H5UJLL4FQV2198bGAV8FtzkQ_av2hWET2deRd_i-OgDSB8CG8xe3-UMcq_khVSJHDng2I3SMjBQlkFoFjd66YXSmgl_e3C6_pGGVMbATb7W6eCFSDTqZ1jAE/s1600-h/food+031.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5aoPTiHVTzeXbxiZd_5H5UJLL4FQV2198bGAV8FtzkQ_av2hWET2deRd_i-OgDSB8CG8xe3-UMcq_khVSJHDng2I3SMjBQlkFoFjd66YXSmgl_e3C6_pGGVMbATb7W6eCFSDTqZ1jAE/s320/food+031.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435600897590876370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYRDPJrI9JhaDoXa7yTz-b1dqUms1aL6hyphenhyphen6fgJ4xaDbSQ7iHkMsYtKpYZ76Ba55DsWDakmikqwZ-8vFsIv2tdrtOedUaJrepuft18I1E8cVRwLJpaeeO86r-Z5yJaA-ly6ZFqHYkNdxQ/s1600-h/food+029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYRDPJrI9JhaDoXa7yTz-b1dqUms1aL6hyphenhyphen6fgJ4xaDbSQ7iHkMsYtKpYZ76Ba55DsWDakmikqwZ-8vFsIv2tdrtOedUaJrepuft18I1E8cVRwLJpaeeO86r-Z5yJaA-ly6ZFqHYkNdxQ/s320/food+029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435600614586271522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8ZE6y9nIrWys1qG-xqKT8LTXA5XKFBnIMpxvnP6lH-ZOjpCdAUFmVrpsGKbOruXf1W-9rJrMQaXGXbvXZ0o50OA6gCZRyVVD1KQoQ3Aa5Xk3Cqiiwgi2MMoote5XGobVSqsWv8a3EvY/s1600-h/food+028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8ZE6y9nIrWys1qG-xqKT8LTXA5XKFBnIMpxvnP6lH-ZOjpCdAUFmVrpsGKbOruXf1W-9rJrMQaXGXbvXZ0o50OA6gCZRyVVD1KQoQ3Aa5Xk3Cqiiwgi2MMoote5XGobVSqsWv8a3EvY/s320/food+028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435600334364145842" /></a><br />Well, it's Super Bowl Sunday 2010.<br /><br />Me not being a football fan, Super Bowl Sunday usually means two things: half price admission at the Nashville Zoo, and not very many people shopping at Wal-Mart, making it a perfect afternoon to go both places.<br /><br />Chicago Man is not a football fan, either, one of his most endearing qualities IMO.<br /><br />However, this year it's a bit different for me...because the New Orleans Saints are in the Super Bowl for the first time in their 43 year history.<br /><br />I lived in New Orleans from 1875-1980 and saw them play (and lose) at the Superdome several times. (even though I am not a football fan, it was just the thing to do).<br /><br />I wanted to celebrate, and even watch some of the game. (Chicago Man, being a rocker from way back, is excited about the halftime show by The Who. So that gives both of us a reason to watch).<br /><br />So we decided to have a mini-Super Bowl party...just ourselves this year. Maybe if the Bears make it next year, we'll have a real party.<br /><br />It would make sense to have New Orleans dishes like muffalatas, red beans and rice, or even beignets, but Chicago Man loves wings (or "wangs" as we say here in Tennessee) and I never fix them. Nor do we frequent "wang" restaurants, so I decided to make him some wangs for our little celebration.<br /><br />I decided to take life easy and use the crockpot so of course I turned to Stephanie over at www.crockpot365.blogspot.com and her wonderful cookbook, Make It Fast, Cook It Slow.<br /><br />And there it was, right in the appetizer section of her cookbook or on her site: Sweet and Spicy Wings. Perfect<br /><br />Since it's just the two of us, and my digestive problems will prevent me from eating even one wing today, I halved Stephanie's recipe but I am reproducing it here for you in its entirety.<br /><br />Her recipe calls for apricot preserves, but since I could only find Polaner (naturally sweetened) in peach, that's what I chose. It's still orange, right?<br /><br />4 lbs of chicken wings and tiny drumsticks (I used Tyson all natural and they only had "wing selections" not drummies, so that's what I used)<br /><br />11 oz jar of apricot preserves<br /><br />14 oz jar of chipotle salsa (I used Pace mango pineapple chipotle)<br /><br />brown wings (you can omit this step if you wish; I decided to brown mine)<br /><br />mix preserves and salsa in separate bowl<br /><br />put wings in crockpot; pour preserve/salsa mixture over wings<br /><br />cook on high 4 hours, or low for 8 hours. Mine were done in about 3 1/2!<br /><br />Oh, and I used a 6-quart crockpot, too.<br /><br />So now I'm ready to hunker down, watch Chicago Man rock out to The Who and enjoy his wangs, and watch the Saints take the win!Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-26476268949320080672010-01-31T10:11:00.000-08:002010-01-31T10:26:45.343-08:00I Could Have Danced All Night!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcudweriKhwQAdg2uVhXpkzBTIM0FB-D_GZ3ZLVZlpU1hyphenhyphenCFeExSUYrk5csNqKOzztJE-_5f_M7MvS6e4J2D42Vaocph7f1dtKySbjZ0I2avIKpe95gCmiT7mVP7ShFPsDe6rFsNmvoc/s1600-h/IMG_3765.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcudweriKhwQAdg2uVhXpkzBTIM0FB-D_GZ3ZLVZlpU1hyphenhyphenCFeExSUYrk5csNqKOzztJE-_5f_M7MvS6e4J2D42Vaocph7f1dtKySbjZ0I2avIKpe95gCmiT7mVP7ShFPsDe6rFsNmvoc/s320/IMG_3765.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432972095630044626" /></a><br />This morning, I am enjoying, savoring, and learning from something I rarely have but highly prize: time alone.<br /><br />As usual, I am not in the house alone (in fact, I am never in the house alone because my mother never leaves the house unless I take her somewhere). But after popping in and out of the living room/kitchen area about 5-6 times, she has finally settled down for a nap, and so has Chicago Man. So it is so quiet it's as good as it gets for me. Even the cat is napping and therefore not continually pestering me to scratch her chin.<br /><br />Wow! I am delirious with happiness over this time to myself. I cleaned out the kitchen cupboards and also the laundry room, mopped the kitchen floor, gathered some things together to donate to Bethesda Ministry (old crockpot, rice cooker, candles, etc.), plowed through a big pile of junk mail, and even made some chili cheese dip in the crockpot.<br /><br />After all that activity, I gained some clarity.<br /><br />I was thinking about this weight loss journey I've been on for four and 1/2 months now, and all of a sudden...by George, I got it...just like Eliza Doolittle!<br /><br />Because I am changing so much on the inside, I see how it really IS about the journey and not the destination of getting to 128 lbs and getting into a size 8 again.<br /><br />God...who would have thought that cleaning out kitchen cupboards would be a self-esteem booster, but it is...because 35 lbs ago I could not bend down to clean out the lower cabinets, nor could I stand on the step-stool to reorganize the upper ones.<br /><br />This is life changing, folks!!! I feel like I can do anything now! I really CAN dance all night if I want to, and all day and every moment because I am figuring out how to live joyfully!<br /><br />I figured out why "diets don't work." Why they haven't worked for me in the past, and why they don't work for a lot of other people, either. It's because I and maybe you, are making it all about the destination and not about the journey.<br /><br />It's not about the weight loss, although that is a byproduct. It's about being the person I previously was not letting myself be. The person I came her to be.<br /><br />Is being 128 lbs again and a size 8 going to make me happy? No, not in and of itself. But it is going to provide me with more options and opportunities to become truly me.Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-65234790832023354102010-01-28T16:12:00.000-08:002010-01-28T16:12:31.579-08:00http://www.guideposts.com/story/devotional-magazine-writers-starting-out<a href="http://www.guideposts.com/story/devotional-magazine-writers-starting-out">http://www.guideposts.com/story/devotional-magazine-writers-starting-out</a>Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-13598326462825731572010-01-28T12:02:00.001-08:002010-01-28T12:17:38.326-08:00I've Got Sunshine!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8ppjsiPl4NoodmO9BdpFQ5HI74eRBrgQH9DZ9pilP-pPyzSmHlr2co-Nic8YFi_AosyOnU1O5OYunhaOFQmcSRpB3Vl-sxAo7O1-Urklm7wswXMdAymvS5AA8jgcnjD5p030ajDI_l0/s1600-h/food+011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8ppjsiPl4NoodmO9BdpFQ5HI74eRBrgQH9DZ9pilP-pPyzSmHlr2co-Nic8YFi_AosyOnU1O5OYunhaOFQmcSRpB3Vl-sxAo7O1-Urklm7wswXMdAymvS5AA8jgcnjD5p030ajDI_l0/s400/food+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431887217582952050" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYIYIlgT9E8sLojDtvKBUV2iF9UVotI-3uWkC1HTuMJvvhatzfSPqcWbHXPvy6cU3DnfH5qyHqbAKgLRTEKhyv5Yl-Lek7AW3-NXD_-73ZQVO_b4nk2XWKu4TrsKgmCX9WaiESJzToBM/s1600-h/food+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYIYIlgT9E8sLojDtvKBUV2iF9UVotI-3uWkC1HTuMJvvhatzfSPqcWbHXPvy6cU3DnfH5qyHqbAKgLRTEKhyv5Yl-Lek7AW3-NXD_-73ZQVO_b4nk2XWKu4TrsKgmCX9WaiESJzToBM/s400/food+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431887214320554082" /></a><br />One of my favorite lunches is a spring mix salad with pear or apple, pecans, feta cheese, and maybe some grilled chicken strips or turkey, tossed with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.<br /><br />However, January's colder temperatures and dreary days have had me craving heartier fare based mostly around bread and potatoes.<br /><br />I was longing for something lighter and healthier, but salad still didn't have any appeal.<br /><br />So a few morning ago when I opened my email, I was excited to find a citrus/mint/feta salad recipe from Smitten Kitchen (www.smittenkitchen.com).<br /><br />It was just what I needed to brighten a dreary day, and make me feel healthy again!<br /><br />Fortunately, I had every ingredient on hand. I had plenty of grapefruit left from the BOGO special at Publix (www.publix.com) a couple weeks ago, as well as a big tub of feta, oranges, and even fresh mint growing in my kitchen windowsill! Smitten Kitchen's recipe called for red onion, but I have developed some sort of food intolerance for onions both cooked and raw (wah!!!!) so I left that out.<br /><br />I was not sure how Chicago Man would feel about the salad, but he loved it! We had it with burgers made from Laura's Lean Beef (www.laurasleanbeef.com), and that was really all we needed for a healthy and zesty dinner. <br /><br />For two of us, I used one grapefruit and one orange. Next time, I will double that because we enjoyed the salad so much we could have used second helpings.<br /><br />Following Smitten Kitchen's advice, I cut the ends off the citrus, then peeled them getting off as much white pith as possible. Then I sliced the fruits into pinwheels, added a few tablespoons of feta and a few chopped mint leaves, and followed Smitten's dressing recipe of<br /><br />1 TB red wine vinegar or lemon juice (I used the vinegar); <br />1 tsp smooth Dijon mustard; <br />1 TB olive oil, <br />and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. (I used my new pink Himalayan salt from Trader Joe's www.traderjoes.com)!<br /><br />This delightful, colorful salad really boosted my mood and gave me a different perspective on how to think--and eat--outside the box.<br /><br />And preparing for this post also gave Chicago Man the opportunity to teach me more about flash techniques! Next time my photos will be much more professional!Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-90920638534523094412010-01-25T12:05:00.000-08:002010-01-25T12:17:05.304-08:00Pepper Me Happy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1V4Hy8BP5a7HYNK4NrszxmmlJJNjGsljqty5VSmN860MFXW0qiCIQsMd4sNiUJW0U4X-gQODkZcKsnsPSdEqx68nY5iXtMZ7UHE5cXdaJXM92Ce1mGxRAAJULHtXSCFbFUg_1qITw6A/s1600-h/food+013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1V4Hy8BP5a7HYNK4NrszxmmlJJNjGsljqty5VSmN860MFXW0qiCIQsMd4sNiUJW0U4X-gQODkZcKsnsPSdEqx68nY5iXtMZ7UHE5cXdaJXM92Ce1mGxRAAJULHtXSCFbFUg_1qITw6A/s400/food+013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430773574144022034" /></a><br />Today has been a busy day because I am taking my mother to the doctor tomorrow, which essentially means I will get nothing done around the house. So I doubled up on cooking, cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping.<br /><br />One task I was determined to complete, and did, was freezing some red, orange, and yellow bell peppers which I got yesterday on sale at Kroger for $1 each.<br /><br />If I'd known how easy it is to freeze them, I would have purchased more than five.<br /><br />This morning I googled "how to freeze bell peppers" and found out that it's simply a matter of removing the stem and seeds, slicing or dicing the peppers, putting them on a tray with waxed paper and placing them in the freezer for an hour, and then transferring them to freezer bags.<br /><br />I am really excited about finishing this simple task because now it will be so easy to have some tasty peppers in soups, stir fries, and other dishes that are yet to come!<br /><br />Being organized and disciplined enough to do something like getting a great deal on peppers and then freezing them, makes me feel really good.<br /><br />I realized as I was standing over the kitchen sink de-seeding the peppers and planning in my head a marinade for the Angus steaks I also got a great deal on, that cooking makes me happy! Much happier than I ever was working in an office.<br /><br />It feels good to finally be this happy!Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-21871495873919704472010-01-22T08:28:00.000-08:002010-01-22T08:29:10.894-08:00Postscript to Parsnip PostWhy did my link to the parsnip recipe not show up? I will have to investigate that...some of the mechanics of blogging still elude me.<br /><br />So here we go, let's try again: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_parsnips/Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-59849209401407668122010-01-22T08:15:00.000-08:002010-01-22T08:27:23.540-08:00Lonely Little Parsnips<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9YsjtLssKHfy4YUBsQ2zYlygtSOhhzjTeD_1ePkpswBGZqcGoc8I7OznPDRnUuoxw1csePq41YE2R1g8jLryx6t7Z6CT7J204yJigsAt89xhL3Wo_nQJdKuiv5AZC_lzsdKt0djh5wk/s1600-h/opryland,+belmont,+and+home+169.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9YsjtLssKHfy4YUBsQ2zYlygtSOhhzjTeD_1ePkpswBGZqcGoc8I7OznPDRnUuoxw1csePq41YE2R1g8jLryx6t7Z6CT7J204yJigsAt89xhL3Wo_nQJdKuiv5AZC_lzsdKt0djh5wk/s320/opryland,+belmont,+and+home+169.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429600673155676898" /></a><br /><br />I have been thinking about parsnips all fall and winter. They're not a vegetable that is commonly eaten in the south, so I have never tried them. <br /><br />Since I want to expand my culinary horizons, I bought some parsnips at the store a few days ago and decided I would serve them with a roast I was planning to cook in my new crockpot.<a href="www.crockpot.com"></a><br /><br />I searched the internet for a parsnip recipe and found this tasty-sounding dish from Simple Recipes: <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_parsnips/"></a><br /><br />The parsnip dish calls for horseradish and we even had some on hand!<br /><br />I was salivating all day thinking about the juicy roast slow cooking away with organic whole berry cranberry sauce and beef broth, the spicy tingle of horseradish, wondering with great anticipation what the parsnips would taste like...apparently sweeter than turnips from what I read...and dreaming of the savory roasted red potatoes I also had planned for dinner.<br /><br />But alas...after cooking all day, my roast was too tough to eat! I think it was the cut of meat--it had virtually no fat. That's only the second time in 30 years I've had a crockpot pot roast failure. (the second occurred on Christmas 2008 with a roast I got from Wal-Mart,and of course, there was nothing to fall back on, it being Christmas Day and all. At least last night I had a few emergency frozen pizzas on hand, that being Chicago Man's favorite back up food).<br /><br />I will go back to Kroger and get another roast, and hopefully my money back for the first one. But in the meantime, my parsnips are languishing in the fridge, waiting to be cooked. I hope to enjoy them soon!Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-81590308907075499252010-01-20T03:37:00.000-08:002010-01-20T04:05:59.957-08:00New Directions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rOmV_YrcExgDt9-Uely0_7TJNCZwKNDFuVtslFg06Z9YIiGhCrMAd5R8n2jnELWDrYQ2nZCf7X789k36HzhpuJtjohNSfaAkkC-E3KHlRDnoL-_z2YyELPl9EoykdzmbYq0LUVryhss/s1600-h/opryland,+belmont,+and+home+018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rOmV_YrcExgDt9-Uely0_7TJNCZwKNDFuVtslFg06Z9YIiGhCrMAd5R8n2jnELWDrYQ2nZCf7X789k36HzhpuJtjohNSfaAkkC-E3KHlRDnoL-_z2YyELPl9EoykdzmbYq0LUVryhss/s200/opryland,+belmont,+and+home+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428791889097223202" /></a><br />I spent some time during the holidays thinking about the direction I wanted to go with blogging.<br /><br />Back in November, I made the decision to pursue food/travel/gardening writing as an avocation (I like that word better than "career" which still reminds me of those awful suits with bow ties that I wore back in the 80s).<br /><br />I figured I would need a new blog centered around food, and toyed around with some names. One was Trois Grandmeres, in honor of my two grandmother's and Chicago Man's Polish grandmother, who from what I hear, cooked up some fabulous meals.<br /><br />Another name was Three Cats and a Kitchen, and I even went so far as to create a blog with that name on WordPress. But I never posted an entry.<br /><br />In the end, I decided to stick with this blog, Like A Flower Unfolding, which originally was created to document my spiritual journey.<br /><br />Because experiencing and sharing food, gardening, and travel and then writing about it, is how I live out my spiritual journey.<br /><br />I haven't been so excited about anything in a long, long time!<br /><br />I guess you could say that I have wished myself "bon appetit", and my good appetite is for life!<br /><br />I hope yours is, too.<br /><br />The photo above, by the way, was taken on Christmas Eve 2009 on the Belmont University (www.belmont.edu) campus. That's how warm it was in Nashville this fall. I'm sure the very cold temperatures in early January put an end to the blooms...but only for a few months.Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-68568972728600920982009-04-09T14:13:00.000-07:002009-04-09T14:17:23.923-07:00The Gift of LifeEach year on my birthday, my mother tells me the story of the day I was born.<br /><br />April 10, 1957.<br /><br />She found the spring sunshine exhilarating…after dropping my father off at Weil Bros. Cotton Co. in downtown Memphis, where he was traffic manager, she drove to Seessel’s, her favorite supermarket, and purchased fresh, juicy red strawberries and cream, for a shortcake.<br /><br />Then she went across the street to Julius Lewis, where she bought a snazzy pair of high-heeled red sandals to wear post-baby.<br /><br />Later that afternoon, the shortcake baked, the strawberries sliced and sugared, and the cream whipped, she walked several blocks down the street to see Old Man Garavelli’s azaleas in all their red April brilliance. <br /><br />One the way back home, I gave a big kick and she doubled over. Two kind and concerned ladies in a car stopped to ask if she needed help, but she waved their offer aside and continued her walk home.<br /><br />That night after dinner, my father went to his accountant’s to work on his taxes. He returned home just before 10 to find my mother lying on the sofa watching the end of the Kraft Theater program on TV. A few minutes later her water broke and it was off to Methodist Hospital, where I was born at ll:47.<br /><br />Thirteen more minutes and I would have shared a birthday with my mother’s twin sisters Ruth and Naomi.<br /><br />I love to hear my mother tell this story because of the zest and enthusiasm that still remains in her voice. It makes me feel loved and wanted. I am grateful to my parents for the gift of life!Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-54896577030114278782009-02-19T08:08:00.000-08:002009-02-19T08:34:53.932-08:00Be Inspired, And Inspiring<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47giOfERFrl-PRonYCbXHmU9nfTZLjEsKAIuXbtcy5TikbEV2r5Q3tDIrB5EQLNas18aglRs3pXFmx4MgEjY4t_UKqpe_GPpaVGsISn72cLn1fnR-C3uR_3sZL-JTKHbbyZkNAUjKGzc/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 77px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47giOfERFrl-PRonYCbXHmU9nfTZLjEsKAIuXbtcy5TikbEV2r5Q3tDIrB5EQLNas18aglRs3pXFmx4MgEjY4t_UKqpe_GPpaVGsISn72cLn1fnR-C3uR_3sZL-JTKHbbyZkNAUjKGzc/s200/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304546970167644546" border="0" /></a><br />I guess we all need a little inspiration. And we can all be inspiring.<br /><br />Last night I watched three reality shows: Chopped, American Idol, and From Gs to Gents, and realized why I and so many others connect with reality shows--because even though they are sometimes silly, they sometimes do portray real people living inspiring lives.<br /><br />On Chopped, Chris, one of the four chefs selected to create meals out of weird ingredients, was a former boxer. He came into the competition with the mindset that he was going to win. That mindset obviously served him well in the boxing arena, and it did in the cooking arena as well.<br /><br />Because he won.<br /><br />Even though his meals were not as creative or edgy as the other contestants, he stayed focused, and he said over and over that he was going to win. And he was a great guy. When one of the chefs broke down and cried over being chopped, he gave her a hug. He was gracious when receiving criticism from the judges, saying only, "Thank you, Chef". Unlike other contestants who sometimes get bad attitudes.<br /><br />Now...about From Gs to Gents. When I started watching this show last summer, I thought it would be really stupid. I was wrong! It's about real guys from the streets, the hood, whatever you want to call it, trying to better their lives and become "gentlemen" --and win $100,000.<br /><br />In this season's opener, one of the contestants, Dirty, got stinking drunk. He was so drunk that he sat in a fire pit, threw another contestant who could not swim into the pool, and finally passed out.<br /><br />The next day, he had to tell his story to Farnsworth Bentley, the host of the show. Prior to hearing Dirty's story, Bentley was inclined to throw Dirty out of the house.<br /><br />Dirty's story was that when he was two months old his mother dumped him in a garbage dumpster. Fortunately someone found him, and he was in and out of foster care all his life. He admitted to having alcohol problems.<br /><br />Bentley's outlook after hearing the story was, "How can I throw him out, when everyone else has thrown him out his whole life?"<br /><br />Bentley told Dirty he'd get him help for his alcohol problem, and asked Dirty to apologize to the rest of the contestants and see if he could earn their respect. He did, and asked to be called Baron, his real name. "I'm not Dirty anymore," he said. He wants to experience a better life.<br /><br />It was very moving. And real.<br /><br />And at last, American Idol. The first three contestants in the final 12 were chosen, and all three had inspiring stories as well as being good singers.<br /><br />There's Alexis, the 21-year-old single mother who is doing this to create a better life for her daughter; Danny, the church music director whose wife passed away last summer, and Michael, a roughneck on an oil rig trying to create a better life for his wife and child.<br /><br />Chris. Baron. Danny. Alexis. Michael.<br /><br />All are standouts in the inspiration arena. All have experienced pain, hard times, uncertainty, difficulties.<br /><br />Yet they are all inspired by something greater than themselves, and that is what makes them inspiring to us.<br /><br />Yet, each of us can look at our own lives and realize that we, too, are inspiring.<br /><br />The inspiring things about our lives don't have to be shared with millions on television to be meaningful.<br /><br />They can be shared with just one person, and they will have an impact.<br /><br />What inspiration can you find in your own life today, and with whom can you share it?Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-34885257501672981702009-02-05T12:00:00.000-08:002009-02-05T12:19:51.392-08:00Gifts I Give, Gifts I've Been Given<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQm4i0oPYYM_8bCWmqtoLird5eSicKUZMPW2i7szQfso_1q-DmL_OhwxfJ7Pp2PdQRXKaWGkKpPbOLALFFtPeDxXfEB_YgWwtonCLUzgp1cden1DVNQFoe0sdPFBOsG6Q3i5Lq8HpozCI/s1600-h/73868322.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 113px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQm4i0oPYYM_8bCWmqtoLird5eSicKUZMPW2i7szQfso_1q-DmL_OhwxfJ7Pp2PdQRXKaWGkKpPbOLALFFtPeDxXfEB_YgWwtonCLUzgp1cden1DVNQFoe0sdPFBOsG6Q3i5Lq8HpozCI/s200/73868322.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299408956404739506" border="0" /></a><br />I have been blessed to have had wonderful writing teachers throughout my 30-year career.<br /><br />There was Ed Weathers, who taught me the art of freelancing; Marjorie Riehm, who introduced me to memoir writing, which is becoming my main genre, and Douglas Taylor, who taught a fabulous class at Northwest Community College in which we were allowed to say only positive things about each other's writing. My classmates, most of whom were 18-21 (I was 40+!) and I thrived and flourished in that environment.<br /><br />Then there were Natalie Goldberg and Anne LaMott http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Lamott , whose books I devoured, and Gabrielle Rico, whose tapes I listened to in the '80s.<br /><br />And in March 2007, I spent three nourishing days with Susan Wittig Albert in a workshop on using creative fiction techniques in memoir writing.<br /><br />Now, many of my writing mentors come via the internet.<br /><br />One is Mary Carroll Moore, who has a helpful blog titled How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book. http://howtoplanwriteanddevelopabook.blogspot.com/<br /><br />Mary Carroll teaches in Minnesota and New York, and since I am in neither place, I'm grateful for her blog, which features a weekly writing exercise.<br /><br />This week's exercise was adapted from Natalie Goldberg's <span style="font-style: italic;">Thunder and Lightening</span>, which I did not have but immediately ordered from www.half.com.<br />http://www.nataliegoldberg.com/<br /><br />The exercise is about answering the questions, <span style="font-style: italic;">What has brought you to your knees? </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">What do you love with your whole heart?</span>, then weaving the answers into your writing.<br /><br />Mary Carroll puts the first question as, <span style="font-style: italic;">"What loss have you experienced?"</span> and "What gifts have they brought?"<br /><br />Since I am prone to insomnia, especially when there is a full moon, I did this part of the exercise about 1 a.m.<br /><br />My losses were astounding, when I began to list them:<br /><br />loss of:<br /><br />my father at age 3 when my parents divorced<br /><br />my stay-at-home, happy mother when she had to go to work at a job she disliked<br /><br />the sense of family<br /><br />two beloved cats, one when I was 8, the other when I was 11<br /><br />not getting into the honor society and glee club in high school<br /><br />my father's death when I was 21<br /><br />deaths of both grandparents I was close to, and a great-aunt, a few years later<br /><br />my broken engagement in my mid-20s.<br /><br />deaths of 9 friends<br /><br />Oh, God...this is not all, there is so much more!<br /><br />What this made me realize is, these were tremendous losses, yet I am still here, I am happy, I am growing, I am flourishing, I am as beautiful and serene as the Japanese cedars I saw at Cheekwood on Saturday.<br /><br />As for what I love with my whole heart, well...that took some thought. In fact, I did not even know how to answer that question until I began this post.<br /><br />It could have been gardening, it could have been nature, it could have been being with loved ones, it is all of those things because those are the stuff of my life.<br /><br />But what it really is, because it weaves all those elements together, is writing about the stuff of my life and sharing it with others.<br /><br />That is what I love with my whole heart.Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-48374260278550099002009-02-03T08:53:00.000-08:002009-02-03T09:09:01.075-08:00Why I Love Money<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbGMJ7UxBkkzjFUfEq96cianaY0jnIj6U_T_D1UCjd36h-3-1_Lo5s3H8HmXE8Xyxa1nYJAyEQUuN-y795jYB6LvC5IK4HC2S3MVzxGm5kna5mIMltIzlYpraDv4TWMGo_-wF8SEr9Gw/s1600-h/blogpix+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbGMJ7UxBkkzjFUfEq96cianaY0jnIj6U_T_D1UCjd36h-3-1_Lo5s3H8HmXE8Xyxa1nYJAyEQUuN-y795jYB6LvC5IK4HC2S3MVzxGm5kna5mIMltIzlYpraDv4TWMGo_-wF8SEr9Gw/s200/blogpix+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298618697681542738" border="0" /></a><br />Good Morning!<br /><br />I had several ideas I wanted to blog about today, and after some reflection, decided to post about a powerful dream I had early this morning shortly before waking. (That's usually when I notice my most powerful dreams).<br /><br />In the dream, which was very clear, lucid, and peaceful, I was working in a call center with many people. The pay was low and many people were struggling, including myself. However, I did not have kids or anyone depending on me as many others did, so it was not as much of a struggle for me.<br /><br />Payday came, and I had $30 in cash. I decided to give $10 to a co-worker who had several children. I wanted to give the gift in secret but I was scrounging through my purse to find the money and my work friend asked me what was taking so long--she was ready to leave, since it was Friday quitting time.<br /><br />So I told her what I was doing and who I was giving the gift to. She immediately said, "Why do you want to give anything to her; she has such a bad attitude!" My response was, "I used to have a bad attitude about life, too, so I understand her."<br /><br />Finally I found the $10 in my purse, but when I went to give it to the woman's son, who had come to pick her up from work, the recipient wound up being a different woman, who some would call a redneck.<br /><br />I offered her the gift, and she immediately said she was not worthy to receive it. I replied that I believed, knew that she was worthy and held out the $10 to her.<br /><br />That was the end of the dream.<br /><br />I believe this dream was me learning how to be both giver and receiver. In the dream as giver, I was an expression of spirit that was understanding and non-judgmental. I recently realized that understanding is not something we do with our heads, but with our hearts. There is no room for judgment when one is able to come from a place of love, understanding, and acceptance.<br /><br />As the receiver, sometimes I feel judged or unworthy to receive the gift. This blocks the flow of spirit, which only seeks to give without reservation. If the flow is somehow blocked, spirit must move on to find another recipient that is open to receive.<br /><br />Last night before bed, before I began to dream this dream, I repeated over and over to myself, "I love money." It gave me peace, even though...<br /><br />Saying I love money goes against all my training, upbringing, and all the religious lessons I learned as a child and young adult.<br /><br />Yet, what is money but a form of energy, and what is energy but love? The Christian Scriptures, specifically Colossians 3, tell us that "love binds everything together in perfect harmony."<br /><br />If I believe love is the unifying force, which I do, and I believe love is another name for energy, which I do, and that money is a form of energy, which I do, then it's OK to love money!<br /><br />In a balanced, honest way, money/love/energy flow in me and through me and out of me and enable me to co-create a more beautiful world.<br /><br />Wow! Now, that's something worth waking up for.Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-8697835378973707382009-01-28T07:09:00.000-08:002009-01-28T07:45:07.851-08:00Life of Simple Beauty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8Wv7bVUkpTMm0L6W5rNbOzgUiPwCyTPYsL1DqfL8k-tQ_9GmzOnN6sg42yZNio55_suuxpNWAmDEY5wB_AD6xaYc2RV45tLoDbfaF6cVSbPenwXFpaYJHeRJTbB5whhnsWZcBFKqhZg/s1600-h/180px-Thoreau_cabin_statue_flickr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8Wv7bVUkpTMm0L6W5rNbOzgUiPwCyTPYsL1DqfL8k-tQ_9GmzOnN6sg42yZNio55_suuxpNWAmDEY5wB_AD6xaYc2RV45tLoDbfaF6cVSbPenwXFpaYJHeRJTbB5whhnsWZcBFKqhZg/s200/180px-Thoreau_cabin_statue_flickr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296367949279926962" border="0" /></a>Photo caption: Reproduction of Thoreau's cabin with statue of Thoreau. From Wikkipedia.<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />"For seen with the eye of the poet, as God sees them, all things are alive and beautiful."<br /><br />This beautiful quote is by Henry David Thoreau, from his journal dated March 13, 1842.<br /><br />It's appropriate in Nashville today, since beautiful, fat flakes of snow are falling, bringing peace and beauty to our world.<br /><br />Thoreau is considered by many to be the first nature writer, and of course is best-known for his essay, <span style="font-style: italic;">Civil Disobedience, </span>which influenced Ghandi and Dr. Martin Luther King, among others.<br /><br />His other great contribution to the world came through his commitment to living simply, in harmony with both nature and humans.<br /><br />He lived at Massachusetts' Walden Pond for "two years, two months, and two days" and although he was criticized by his peers for allowing his mother to bring him home-cooked meals once a week, there is no doubt that Thoreau's political and nature writings have had tremendous, lasting, influence.<br /><br />Through his nature observations, documented in 2 million words in 24 notebooks, Thoreau began noticing environmental and ecological patterns. His observations were not taken seriously, however, until the 1970s, more than 100 years after his death in 1862 at age 44.<br /><br />He also was an early proponent of public land conversation.<br /><br />Like many forward thinkers, Thoreau was criticized, especially by adventure author Robert Louis Stevenson, who considered Thoreau's simple, woodsy life to be "effeminate".<br /><br />From what I have read and understood about Thoreau, he was so in harmony with himself and the world around him, particularly the natural world, that these criticisms had no effect on him.<br /><br />He continued to live his life by being true to himself, and perhaps most importantly, shared what he learned with the world.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-56062496763454187212009-01-19T12:05:00.000-08:002009-01-19T12:23:00.508-08:00Experience Healing Through Remembering the PastWell...it's no secret that I am hooked on reality shows, and one of my favorites right now is VH1's <span style="font-style: italic;">Confessions of a Teen Idol.</span><br /><br />Conceived by Scott Baio, a former teen idol himself (<span style="font-style: italic;">Happy Days, Charles in Charge</span>), the show puts 7 former teen idols (like Christopher Adkins of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Blue Lagoon</span>, Billy Hufsey of <span style="font-style: italic;">Fame)</span> and places them in situations in which they have to confront their famous pasts--and the fact that they are no longer famous.<br /><br />Today at lunch I watched the most recent episode, in which the 7 were taken on a Hollywood bus tour, with the twist being stops in their own famous pasts.<br /><br />Several of the idols admitted that they either left their series' in a huff of ego, or in Adkins' case, were too messed up on drugs to move forward in their careers (Adkins admitted for the first time that he lost the role in <span style="font-style: italic;">Footloose </span>because he was high when he went to talk to the producers. The role instead went to Kevin Bacon and that was the making of Bacon's career).<br /><br />Adkins stated that the opportunity to talk about this on the show, and shed a tear or two, was very healing for him and empowered him to move forward in his renewed quest for fame via acting. Several other idols had similar experiences as they confronted their own pasts.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Confessions of a Teen Idol</span> is functioning like a series of memoir in a documentary film format, and offers a key reason for writing--or filming--one's lifestory: healing.<br /><br />It helps to come out of denial, open up, share with others, and experience acceptance as these 7 former idols gave to one another.<br /><br />It definitely can be challenging to confront your past through memoir writing. I know, because I've done it myself.<br /><br />Depending on the severity of the experience and how much emotion has been repressed, it can bring a big, dark cloud swirling around.<br /><br />Often as you write, you begin to remember things that you had completely forgotten because they were so painful.<br /><br />Eventually, though, if you keep breathing and keep writing, the sun does come out, you begin to forgive yourself and others, and healing takes place. The writing (which you may or may not choose to share with others) begins to have a transformative effect, and you might even begin to recognize some good in the experience.<br /><br />Then it's time to write about a beautiful, new future!<br /><br />Tips:<br /><br />Your writing may take place as a "stream of conscious"--writing anything and everything that comes to mind within a specific timeframe of 10 minutes, 20 minutes or whatever feels comfortable.<br /><br />Or you may uses old photographs and other memoribilia as writing prompts, and writing about a specific event, like a parent's funeral, or breaking up with your first boyfriend or girlfriend.<br /><br />You may choose to write in poetry instead of prose, and to even incorporate drawing or painting into your healing memoir.<br /><br />Be free to choose your own path to healing through remembrance writing.Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-27895813367119670482009-01-13T08:34:00.000-08:002009-01-13T08:37:22.748-08:00What Do I want To Teach?Wow!<br /><br />I just found the coolest (for me!) blog called oneminutewriter.blogspot.com.<br /><br />It gives a writing prompt for each day, and suggests writing for one minute.<br /><br />Today's prompt is: what information or skill would you like to teach others?<br /><br />Mine is definitely teaching homeless kids and their families about Abraham-Hicks' emotional guidance system of how to have better-feeling thoughts in challenging times.<br /><br />I read an article a few weeks ago about kids whose families lost their homes in foreclosure, and it broke my heart.<br /><br />Ooops, one minute up already! That went fast.Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-80566415580783536872009-01-13T07:54:00.000-08:002009-01-13T08:13:57.530-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGpyjHR_Poci0kBPXSzsXdlDc3ULr315mLNnIGeEbhIZxOsaNhaiF7dCmX5GNs65KYn-wTM4MkJkc5ALJHPDbf0a3DWwxf3RRvC7-oisKIg3N54q76sxeEy_xGdNZteyuvnqgriyTP_w/s1600-h/bilde.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGpyjHR_Poci0kBPXSzsXdlDc3ULr315mLNnIGeEbhIZxOsaNhaiF7dCmX5GNs65KYn-wTM4MkJkc5ALJHPDbf0a3DWwxf3RRvC7-oisKIg3N54q76sxeEy_xGdNZteyuvnqgriyTP_w/s200/bilde.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290812216538271042" border="0" /></a><br />Saturday morning I was listening to Whad'Ya Know (I had to look up the spelling of that!) with Michael Feldman, one of my favorite radio programs on NPR. (www.notmuch.com, for those not familiar with him).<br /><br />He's introduced a new segment called Happy Talk, in which listeners can call in with happy news! The first caller was from Nashville, but I was unable to catch her name or what she was calling about, other than that it had to do with the Belcourt Theater and was some sort of exhibit.<br /><br />I was just excited that someone from Nashville called in!<br /><br />Then, this morning I was reading the Sunday paper which I did not have time to read on Sunday, and there was an article about a plein-air artist named Peggy Snow, who has a painting exhibit at the Belcourt through Jan. 22.<br /><br />I feel sure it's the same person who called in!<br /><br />There are several really special things about Peggy Snow: one is that she preserves "vanishing street scenes" with her paintings. She paints old buildings and houses, some of which eventually get torn down.<br /><br />Peggy also exclusively paints in plein air, which means that she stows her paints, canvases, and other "painting stuff" in the back of her vehicle and is always ready to stop and paint at a moment's notice.<br /><br />Which leads into what I think is the coolest thing of all about Peggy: while she is painting on the street, often in a derelict neighborhood, she interacts with passersby. Often, she meets people who know something about the house, building, or church she is painting.<br /><br />And often she interacts with homeless people who respond to her work.<br /><br />She says she meets people from all social stratas.<br /><br />Now, this is really taking art to its ultimate limit.<br /><br />I am a writer, and a beginning painter, and know that most artists (whether visual or words) require solitude. It's considered sacred and necessary.<br /><br />So I think Peggy is pretty special.<br /><br />My future step-son-in-law (mouthful!) is very involved in his church; he, the minister, and the other elders are becoming more "missional" as they call it.<br /><br />Basically, it entails being more involved with others and interacting with them where they are.<br /><br />That's what I see Peggy doing with her art--being "missional". Giving people who live marginally an unexpected gift and receiving in return.<br /><br />Here's a link to a Tennessean article about Peggy: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090111/ENTERTAINMENT0506/901110311/1005/RSS04<br /><br />I'm definitely inspired, and feel like I am looking at art in a completely different way. One of those seemingly small things that is fundamentally life changing.<br /><br />Like the song from our special music at church Sunday, from Steve Fox: "When you change the way you look at things, things change."<br /><br />Thanks, Peggy. I look forward to seeing your show at the Belcourt and hopefully seeing you on the street painting someday. Maybe you will see me writing or painting there as well!Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-44074902372383289722008-10-14T12:09:00.001-07:002008-10-14T12:20:08.026-07:00Lessons from a Surfer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJD5sfEqXEqORKyn1Q4DZuGTXtDMQjAkRp_R9uAN25hOHkBAVqrhTsscUlUrugLgOu8ccGcRDj6wDQ1cM8X-Ff27rAxnk0QVmgy0o2qxy9iAb9r4hFe7H3KFjRgXP2lE4UCojt8yjJRQ/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJD5sfEqXEqORKyn1Q4DZuGTXtDMQjAkRp_R9uAN25hOHkBAVqrhTsscUlUrugLgOu8ccGcRDj6wDQ1cM8X-Ff27rAxnk0QVmgy0o2qxy9iAb9r4hFe7H3KFjRgXP2lE4UCojt8yjJRQ/s200/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257091494193156482" border="0" /></a><br />Today, during lunch, Steve and I took some downtime to watch Iconoclast, which is broadcast on the Sundance Channel.<br /><br />The episode we watched paired Eddie Vetter, lead singer of Pearl Jam, with Laird Hamilton, the world's top big-wave surfer and co-inventor of tow-in surfing, among other accomplishments.<br /><br />Vetter and Hamilton, who are friends, spent some time surfing (including traditional Hawaiian style paddle surfing which I think is beautiful and elegant) and touring Maui from a helicopter.<br /><br />They saw a double rainbow, waterfalls, and other beautiful scenes, and shared a bit about their lives.<br /><br />Laird Hamilton's life is astonishing! It has unfolded as beautifully as the waves he rides. He makes surfing seem effortless (but of course it's not) and he makes life seem effortless, too.<br /><br />Stepson of 60s iconic surfer Bill Hamilton, Laird shunned the world of competitive surfing. He followed his heart, passion, and talent, and as a result, many opportunities have unfolded before him.<br /><br />Even his meeting with Bill Hamilton was synchronistic. Fatherless, Laird was about 7 or 8 when he encountered his future stepfather on the beach one day. They bodysurfed together, and then Laird played matchmaker and took the surfer home to meet his mother. The two fell in love and married, with Hamilton Sr. giving young Laird his name and his mentorship.<br /><br />I feel peaceful after watching the show. I feel more in harmony with the rhythm of life.<br /><br />Laird Hamilton did what he loved, and let his life unfold rather than trying to make things happen or even make money. Common sense would have told him to become a competitive surfer like his stepfather, because it was more "secure" and predictable. But also less free.<br /><br />Now that I am re-embarking on the path of being a coach, this is a good lesson for me. As I follow my intuitive self, immerse myself in my interests and continue to hone my skills, opportunities will unfold beautifully.<br /><br />It's a much more serene way to live. It's different. I'm ready for it.Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958882728699104651.post-79365101675558575902008-09-17T07:17:00.001-07:002008-09-17T07:25:24.568-07:00Something New<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbxuipI75S5Nb73YkMb4uFKXce7x1RkjKiBk8WLbpclJLJDbF1Fyip2SUczI0owM0wrD3Gpm4SenbxK2MJUlE_NmY9rOVfp3bWpDmwkhA1_EkVx1ZsVBOj7tIvuM0cwCGB7nWlvzsqNM/s1600-h/IMG_3765.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbxuipI75S5Nb73YkMb4uFKXce7x1RkjKiBk8WLbpclJLJDbF1Fyip2SUczI0owM0wrD3Gpm4SenbxK2MJUlE_NmY9rOVfp3bWpDmwkhA1_EkVx1ZsVBOj7tIvuM0cwCGB7nWlvzsqNM/s200/IMG_3765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246996164773965874" border="0" /></a><br />Wow! Starting a new blog is a bit like starting a new school year.<br /><br />Remember the excitement of a brand-new box of crayons with intact points like rocket nozzles? Freshly sharpened pencils with erasers not yet worn down and lead-stained? Pages and pages of pristine white notebook paper?<br /><br />These things represented a new year, a year full of untold stories filled with promise.<br /><br />That's how I feel about this blog. For the first time in many years, I will be writing down my thoughts and feelings as the newest leg of my spiritual life unfolds.<br /><br />In January of this year, Steve and I began attending First Church Unity in Nashville, and simultaneously studying the Law of Attraction via Abraham-Hicks.<br /><br />I really feel like a new person.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to sharing my growth as I unfold...like a flower.<br /><br />"Behold, I make all things new." Revelations 21:5Senior Home Transformationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06765784958707259166noreply@blogger.com0