The Packers had won, there were beautiful, light flurries coming out of the mountains, and a bassoon concerto was playing on the radio; what could be better?
Journal
Joyful Moment 1/31/11
Posted on Sunday, February 13th, 2011
An Energy Economy
Posted on Monday, January 10th, 2011
See: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/423/the-invention-of-money for more about the fiction of money.
Winter Solstice, 2010
Posted on Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
From late night 12/21/10: I am sitting here awaiting the winter solstice lunar eclipse, and missing my solstice gathering, so I thought I’d create a virtual one, complete with a tree with candles. (For those of you who don’t know the ritual, please bear with me.) On the tree I have hung a tassel (like from a graduation cap) which actually has a double meaning. On the one hand, I have undervalued this accomplishment (a PH.D.) and what it took to achieve it; on the other hand, I have, in some ways, bought into the overvaluation which society gives it. Both of these attitudes have impeded my ability to be myself fully. And, as I light a candle, calling in the light once more, what I take from the tree is a tiny sled like the one I had as a child (wooden slats over red runners, with a rudimentary “rudder” to steer). Having climbed to the top of a long, snowy hill, I now can glide down with ease, picking up some speed, steering to avoid rocks and trees, and yipping in total delight.
Now I invite you to hand an ornament of your own on the tree, representing something you are leaving to the darkness, and either take my tassel, or another imagined ornament, which represents what you are calling into the light during this time of darkness. Blessings. ( Image taken from a Jacquie Lawson e-card from: http://www.jacquielawson.com/)
All Heaven’s Breaking Loose
Posted on Sunday, December 19th, 2010
Yesterday I caught myself saying “All hell’s breaking loose” a couple of times. But what if, instead, all heaven’s breaking loose, showering down wonderful things? At first my roommate leaving did feel like all hell breaking loose, but then I began to see possibilities and feel the excitement about having a living situation much more like what I really want in my heart of hearts.
Today I Killed a Dog
Posted on Saturday, December 18th, 2010
There was nothing I could have done differently; one moment the dog wasn’t there, the next he/she was. A man in a truck stopped and confirmed that for me, so why did I feel so awful? He tried to comfort me by saying, “I just read in Scripture yesterday that dogs and other animals have no Spirit; they just go back to the Earth.” If I believed that, then I would experience far less joy in life than I do, but I didn’t tell him that; I just thanked him for stopping and drove away. What gave me a glimmer of some comfort was something Abraham said about animals sometimes jumping in front of cars in order to drop their old bodies and move on to something new. Interestingly, when I replay the moment over in my mind’s eye, what I see is a dog dancing in front of my car just before I hit him/her. Dancing. It reminds me of a friend who died of a massive heart attack while dancing. He simply sat down with a big grin on his face and left. If I can believe Abraham, then I can only hope that I can leave this life dancing like my friend and the dog; please let me be that awake, and that joyful.
Be Careful What You Wish For. . .
Posted on Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
I was driving home from work, developing a plan for telling my roommate that our arrangement wasn’t working for me. (My recent trip to WI for Thanksgiving helped me clarify that I either want to live alone or else in a situation of a certain level of sharing — including an occasional meal which we co-create.) So I arrived home and my roommate came out of her room to announce that she was moving out. . .tomorrow! Well, the part of me that is concerned about money freaked out, but then I told myself (as I had on my recent trip) to relax/breathe/trust. I went back and forth between freaking and trust a few times before I actually began settling into something closer to excitement; yes, excitement about the possibilities. (Of using the second bedroom as a real studio, or perhaps a friend who is coming for solstice and will now have an actual bedroom to stay in might decided to move in for a while; the possibilities keep growing!) And then I went online to check/send some emails, and there were two, count them, two, with offers of money! 
A Favorite Holiday Recipe (from Modern Maturity, 2001)
Posted on Monday, December 6th, 2010
Butternut Squash and Potato Strudel (makes 8 servings; I usually double it)**
2 T butter
1 C chopped onion
1 t. salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1T fresh marjoram leaves or 1 t dried leaves, crushed
1 3/4 C peeled/chopped butternut squash
1 3/4 C peeled/chopped new potatoes
2 T crumbled feta cheese
4 phyllo sheets, thawed
1/4 C melted butter
Garnish: Styrian pumpkin seed oil seasoned olive oil, feta cheese, and fresh marjoram
- Melt the 2 T of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, salt, pepper, and marjoram leaves. Sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mix in squash and potatoes; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cover and cook another 5-10-15 minutes, until vegetables are soft and breaking down.
- Cool and stir in the crumbled feta cheese.
- Separate 1 phyllo sheet from the others, covering the remaining sheets with a damp towel. Brush the sheet with melted butter, then fold it in half lengthwise and again brush with butter.
- Place 1/4 of the filling at the bottom of the sheet and fold the sheet over into a triangle. Continue folding until you reach the end of the phyllo sheet. Place on a greased baking sheet. Repeat until all filling is used.
- Bake strudel in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve with a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil or seasoned oil, crumbled feta, and a sprig of marjoram or Italian parsley leaves.
**I make the complete recipe once a year; in between, I simply make and serve the filling as an alternative side dish to plain potatoes.
A Magical Thanksgiving
Posted on Saturday, December 4th, 2010
It began with a late afternoon car ride down to Charlotte. As I approached the city, traffic came to a near standstill and I began calculating how much time I had left to get to my flight; if we continued at our current pace, I would miss it for sure. “Let go, relax, and trust,” said my inner voice, and within moments we were moving swiftly. As I approached the extended stay parking area, I was informed that my usual lots (1,2, and 3, which charge $4/day) were closed. Now what? I could feel panic rising up. “Let go, relax, and trust,” came again, and then there was a sign which directed me to lot #4, where I was charged a mere $10 for the entire 10 days I would be gone. At the terminal, I put my bag on the scale and watched the numbers climb: 25, 33, 38, 47. . . 50! I breathed a sigh of relief and headed to my gate, where I sat as our boarding time came and went, then our flight time came and went. I only had 55 minutes between touchdown and take off in Detroit, and I usually had to go from 1 concourse to another.. “Let go, relax, and trust.” I have a pass to the Sky Club; I’ll have food, drink, and a comfy place to sleep if necessary. When I deplaned, I discovered that my next flight was just finishing boarding at the very next gate. During both flights, I had free wifi, so I was able to handle those last minute e-mails I hadn’t gotten to at home. I landed in Madison and was taken to my friends’ house where the Nutcracker Sweet tea I had asked for was waiting for me. “A client just happened to gift me with me it, so I didn’t have to buy it,” she said, smiling. And the magic, and gratitude, just keep coming, including the sighting of a pair of bald eagles just a few hundred feet from me. I hope you all had as magical a Thanksgiving as I and my friends did.
Gather Ye Pinecones While Ye May
Posted on Friday, December 3rd, 2010
I was wanting some small pine cones to put into my potpourri jars and let several of my friends know about it, but no one was coming up with anything. Then, on a warm day in November my cat, Clive, begged me to come out and be with him on the front porch. Like him, I lay on my back and looked upâto see the tree above me laden with the very pine cones I was wanting.
Play
Posted on Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
I may very well be anthropomorphizing here, but the dog in this video looks like he is having a lot of fun going back and forth on a skateboard On one video, his owner said that bulldogs are, in fact, great lovers of play. So, what can you do to be more playful and joy-filled today? For me it used to be skiing; now itâs being in my studio, creating a new quilt, or coming up with the next idea for something to create, or cooking up something wonderful in the kitchen.