Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Alleluia for This Life. On My 61st Birthday.


·      I am thankful for the unlikely and astonishing fact of being alive.
·      I am thankful for this incredible living planet that holds me with loving gravity every moment.
·      I am thankful for my parents, ancestors and all the purposeful and accidental actions that came to pass to create my life.
·      I am thankful for my partner in life, who has gone on so many journeys with me.
·      I am thankful for two most wonderful and remarkable daughters who inspire me, teach me and who have taught me the very depth of love.
·      I am thankful for my fabulous friends, who keep me company, encourage and hearten me.
·      I am thankful for a magical universe of unimaginable proportions.And the ordinary extraordinary miracle of water.
·      I am thankful for the  indescribable wild power called “God”, so far beyond the domesticated and tiny interpretations we hold. Only Rumi comes close to words that are worthy.
·      I am thankful for the muse of creativity, which flows in my veins and which provides revelation and interpretation to the world.
·      I am thankful for my body/mind and all the places, feelings and thoughts it has explored.
·      I am thankful for love. And the smell and taste of home cooking.
·      I am thankful for courage, imagination, truth, integrity, vision, roots, and a sense of place.
·      I am thankful for peace. And freedom.
·      I am thankful for beauty. And that I can behold it.
·      I am thankful for trees, the moon, the ocean, rivers, the starry sky, the heat of summer, fresh vegetables, good dogs, good music, good books, good movies,  good food.
·      I am thankful for movement, walking in nature, dancing, yoga, laughter and fun, hugs, rest—dreams and a damn good sleep.
·      I am thankful for breezes, gardens, shade when you need it, poetry.
·      I am thankful for liberal religions, forbearance, forgiveness, tolerance and diversity.  And the people who remind us of those things and fight for them.
·      I am thankful for good jokes, sacred clowns and good comedy which make the world bearable.
·      I am thankful for all those small moments. When you just catch the ferry (or plane or train or bus).  When the person you are thinking of calls you.  When you catch the falling glass.  When you walk back to get your hat and find you have left the burner on. When you walk into the thrift store and there is the exact item you have been wanting.
·      I am thankful for all the journeys I have been privileged to take across this magnificent  Earth.
·      I am thankful for clouds, hot tubs, sauna, trails, mountains, valleys, and did I mention trees?
·      I am thankful for babies and children. And soup. And scarves.And massage.
·      I am thankful for flowers and fall foliage and dining tables full of food and friends and family.
·      I am thankful for quantum physics and John Muir and canoes.
·      I am thankful for Star Trek and Lord of the Rings and all magical journeys into imaginative realms.
·      I am thankful for salmon, songbirds, whales and horses and all animals. Special shout out to my kooky dog Jack and all those who put up with him. He makes us laugh.
·      I am thankful for rain, wind, trailing clouds along a blue sky. And did I mention trees?
·      I am thankful for all those who do a good thing, the right thing, who speak truth though their voice shakes, and who stand up for the future, the ones who have no voice or power, and who protect the ancient earth.
I am thankful for how incomplete this list is and how I could go on and on.  May this river of gratitude never stop,. I wish to always ride in its current. Alleluia for this life.



Sunday, December 18, 2011

The whole universe is in a glass of wine

In my quantum physics adventures, I have come across the amazing mind and quotes of American physicist Richard Feynman. I especially like this one.

 "A poet once said, "The whole universe is in a glass of wine." We will probably never know in what sense he meant that, for poets do not write to be understood. But it is true that if we look at a glass of wine closely enough we see the entire universe. There are the things of physics: the twisting liquid which evaporates depending on the wind and weather, the reflections in the glass, and our imagination adds the atoms. The glass is a distillation of the Earth's rocks, and in its composition we see the secrets of the universe's age, and the evolution of stars. What strange arrays of chemicals are in the wine? How did they come to be? There are the ferments, the enzymes, the substrates, and the products. There in wine is found the great generalization: all life is fermentation. Nobody can discover the chemistry of wine without discovering, as did Louis Pasteur, the cause of much disease. How vivid is the claret, pressing its existence into the consciousness that watches it! If our small minds, for some convenience, divide this glass of wine, this universe, into parts — physics, biology, geology, astronomy, psychology, and so on — remember that Nature does not know it! So let us put it all back together, not forgetting ultimately what it is for. Let it give us one more final pleasure: drink it and forget it all!"

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Cleaning out the Wreckage

In my mom's last post, she suggests giving yourself a mental break from the cold and darkness of December. This time of year is cold and dark, and the animal within us responds to the change of season by habitually becoming more internal. It is a time for reflection and solace, creature comforts and internal organizing.

Winter is also a time to deal with things, all the thing you forgot about in the balmy daze of Summer. For me, it is a time to deal with finances. I am using the cold and early darkness as an excuse to sit inside with a pen and paper and get down to the nitty-gritty nastiness of finances in your 20's. I was afraid to start, but it actually seems to make the cold and dark more bearable, more purposeful.

Try it. Pick something you have been avoiding; some nagging underbelly of your life, and DEAL with it. Give yourself imaginary gold stars after you spend time working on it. Pair your task with creature comforts to make it more enjoyable, aka, I like to drink wine while I work on my finances. Get down and dirty with your loose ends and use this period of cold and dark to deal with them. When Spring arrives, you will feel lighter; more deserving of the levity of those warmer months.


Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Fabric of the Cosmos

The Fabric of the Cosmos

Acclaimed physicist Brian Greene reveals a mind-boggling reality beneath the surface of our everyday world. On NOVA, available through PBS.

Feeling tired of the cold and dark? Give your mind a Winter Solstice present and watch this. It is AWESOME.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Still Sexy After All These Years?

Yes, there is a book called that. For women after 50. Haven't read it yet but the fact that it caught my eye is well . . .  interesting.  And some common themes emerge for why we might feel less than sexy. Bloating and sexy don't get on well together. Looking in the mirror and seeing your mom has a dampening effect also. Body changes.... um, well, I am not going to get into that. But I do know this. December can be good or bad for sexy. Bad is related to bloating, too much drink and food. Not enough of what you know damn well will make you feel better (water, exercise).

But good December is pausing. Tapping into root energy (think borsht, like this recipe or oven roasted veggies like this) give you beautiful colors and comfort. Replacing some of your coffee with Rooibos Tea (my favorite is Warm Balance by Eco Teas) will help too (high levels of anti-oxidants, no caffeine, and a host of healthy qualities--see full article here.) Instead of a latte, enjoy a "London Fog", Cape Town, South Africa style, using Rooibos steeped in steamed milk (or substitute rice milk) with agave syrup.
 As for pausing, it is the RUSH of life that strips your adrenal glands. It is the endocrine system of your body that feeds the juices of life http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2001/06/endocrine.htm.  So, taking some time for yourself and resting, as well as nourishing the body is very sexy after all.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Crazy Sexy Diet - I love this woman

I love this book, and this woman, and her story! Check it out: http://crazysexydiet.com/.

Eat better, drink better, think better.

December is an excellent time to engage and indulge in good health. After all, it is the month before a new year...