Jack’s Pie: A Memory That Shaped My Life
Everyone has strong memories, those which are emblazoned in our brain, never to be forgotten. There are those of us that have such strong memories, they carry an important position in our lives for all time. There are those that have memories that changed their life to such an extent, that the telling of those important memories to others results in life-enhancing moments. I have had this experience, and though I have related this story to many people, it always amazes me that it touches them in some unique way. Because of this, I have decided to write about this very personal, yet profound, memory
Back in the late sixties when I was around 5 years old, I was lucky to have Uncle Jack and Aunt Ruth in my life. Though I spent very little time with them, I only have fond memories of our time together. Uncle Jack was a big man (at least when I was 5), with a very imposing nature, complete with a shock of neatly trimmed grey hair and eyeglasses that he constantly took on and off, depending on the situation or his mood. Then there was sweet Aunt Ruth. I remember her as always running from one task to another with a smile and a laugh, pleasing everyone in her path. Nothing seemed to bother Ruth, for she was in her element of running a household with lots of love. For all of Ruth’s sweetness, Jack was the opposite on the surface. He was a bit gruff, I do believe I heard him growl once, but a sweetheart underneath, which could be seen when he smiled. When he smiled, it was always genuine and beautiful. Seeing the softer side of Uncle Jack was rare, and I was privy to that side of him on one very special day.
I found myself in the warmest part of Uncle Jack and Aunt Ruth’s home; the kitchen. I was sitting at the small kitchen table with Jack, after eating lunch, while Aunt Ruth busied herself with baking pies and goodness knows what else. I remember looking at Uncle Jack from across the table and being very sincere in asking him: “Uncle Jack, who is God?” I have no recollection of where this question came from, but I do remember looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. As I was waiting, Uncle Jack proceeded to take off his glasses and then rub his forehead multiple times. We sat in silence as he formulated an answer to the age-old question. Finally, he bellowed (nicely, in his own way) “Ruth, get me a pie!” My Aunt Ruth skipped along the kitchen picking the perfect pie for her “Jackie” and finally placed a pie in front of him on the table between us. Uncle Jack looked at the pie for a while, put his glasses back on and demanded: “Ruth, get me a knife!” At this second request, Ruth rummaged around for the best knife for her Jackie and presented it on the table next to the pie. She looked from me to him, her head snapping back and forth in anticipation, eventually walking away while wringing her hands in her apron.
My Uncle Jack slowly took the knife and held it above the pie, as if contemplating where his first cut would go. Abruptly he started cutting the pie into sections, a bunch of neat little triangles that ended up in a heap of fruity goodness in the middle where all the cuts came together. When he finished cutting, he put the knife down and looked at me with a very satisfied look on his face. He then took his glasses off, twitching them between his forefinger and thumb, and put his elbows down on the table around the newly cut pie. He looked at me and pointed and said: “Do you see this circle in the middle of the pie?” I looked and nodded yes. He looked at me in acknowledgment and continued “This here in the middle is God. See all the slices that point to the middle? I nodded my head once again. “Those slices are all the different religions (he named off quite a few) and they all end up in the same place: The Greater Good. That is God.” This is a memory that grows with me through the years and has had the most impact on my overall spiritual belief system than anything in my 50+ years to date
Memories, which are experiences that are remembered in different levels of clarity, is an important part of our life’s toolbox. Which memories affect us more? Which ones will propel us towards a positive or negative course? Another mystery is why so-called “mundane” memories sometimes resonate far more than “milestone” memories. I believe it is because we don’t know the full impact of that experience/memory until we rediscover its importance within ourselves and share it with others
A very unbeknownst Uncle Jack ultimately shaped my future beliefs during a conversation at the kitchen table when I was 5. Let that sink in for a minute. Now take another minute and think about the most obscure memory you have, that you will never forget, which has changed your life forever. Now you’re either sitting there shaking your head with a big smile on your face saying “Oh My God……” or, you are sitting there with a tear ready to roll or rolling down your cheek. Either way, this memory is important to your life and the learning of your life lessons. Don’t hold on to just the memory, but let its lesson grow with you. This is a memory that will continue to guide and teach you as you grow older. It is fluid and will be used for many situations in your life. You are fortunate to have such a memory, use it wisely
Jack’s Pie is one of the few concrete childhood memories that I have and I truly feel blessed that it took me such a long way. The platform that Jack’s Pie built within me gave me the courage to go my own way as far as religion/spirituality is concerned. I have always tried to reach for the Greater Good, and because of that belief, I forged my own path. I allowed myself total freedom in my thought process and digested what connected with me and I connected with that which touched my soul. I have my own mind with my own nourished platform of The Ultimate Good and I run with it. I have my Uncle Jack to thank for this very profound part of my nature. Without Jack’s Pie, I believe I would not be so open and respectful of, not only all religions but different beliefs and belief systems altogether. In the end, WE ARE ONE and no matter which slice we choose to be, we are all pointed to the middle of the pie.
PS: If you haven’t guessed, the picture on this post is of Jack & Ruth. 🙂
The Road Just Got Really Bumpy
In 2016 only 17% of the women labor force were 45-54 years of age. This estimate for the same age range is flat for the year 2024. What is interesting is that 5% of the women workforce is aged 65+ and is estimated to grow to 8.1% in 2024, a 47% increase in 8 years! With the current US healthcare crises and employers not hiring and/or getting rid of seasoned professionals, this paints a dreary picture for most of the population. So why are employers not hiring and/or getting rid of seasoned professionals?
In a Harvard Business Review article, it is suggested that there seem to be two reasons with regard to older women in the workforce: Age discrimination and society’s focus on the physical appearance of women. I would add a third suggestion, that being health care: the cost, and the perceived cost as the middle-aged employee continues to age. And, as we all know, shit happens as you get older. This is all very sad and scary for those of us in our middle-years, but also for employers who are focusing their recruiting efforts on younger employees and in-turn are missing out on hiring a person who has seasoned skills, a mature attitude towards work and a work-ethic that has been honed over the years.
I have worked since the age of 12. Yes, 12! (That’s me in the picture working on my typing at the age of 7.) I worked in my mother’s answering service, answering phones and doing other odd jobs that needed to be done. I didn’t go to college but was paying my own bills by the age of 17. I started my advertising career as a receptionist for a major magazine. Through the years and a lot of hard work and perseverance, I had climbed from a receptionist to working in sales for one of the most successful and prestigious companies in the world. I had made it! All my hard work had paid off…and I hated it! It was amazing to me that I had worked so hard to get myself to the top of the “ladder” only to find I really didn’t want to be there. But what do you do? Well, the decision was made for me when that company years later laid-off many people, me included. I then went to work for another company in sales because that is what I needed to do to pay the mortgage and put food on the table. I was offered an opportunity within that company to step out of my comfort zone and take on a different role, one in which I defined and refined for over 7 years. I enjoyed my work tremendously, loved the company I worked for and then I was laid-off last week.
Now, here I am a 53 year-old single mother with a teenage daughter at home. I now have to reenter the workforce where I’m competing with Millennials and younger women and men who will be looked upon more favorably then myself strictly because of my age.
This is a daunting situation that I’m trying to come to grips with. There is a bit of a war going on inside me. I have the one side that is devastated, hurt, scared and overwhelmed at the task at hand. Then there is the other side that is hopeful and wanting to explore new things, shake up my life, and do something completely different. I am trying very hard to stay positive and keep saying the mantras “all will be well”, “everything happens for a reason”, “One door shuts and another opens.”
In my research I have found a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel: Olderpreneur. I think that term will end up in an online urban dictionary sooner than later. In the Financial Times article Over 50s Are The New Business Start-Up Generation they discuss the very issues that are plaguing myself and those of my generation. It outlines how they are using their 401Ks (you can now access them at age 55) or borrowing against them to start their own businesses. This is something that interests me and allows the positive side of my inner war to do a little dance.
Until my next post, here is my advice to those of you in your 20s or 30s or even 40s: SAVE YOUR MONEY! Put as much as you can into your 401K, savings, etc.
Black, White or Grey?
Have you ever been told something about yourself from a friend or family member that you instantly dismissed as untrue? But then you started thinking about it and were astonished to discover it was indeed true? Or have you ever discovered something about yourself that you hadn’t realized was a part of your true nature? Something like that just happened to me and I was a bit shocked.
I had my numerology chart done in a new class I’m starting that is set up to help me align my life and soul so I can lead my greatest life. This will be done through numerology and astrological charts, Tarot, soul healing and some other metaphysical endeavors. The first step is understanding my chart and what my numbers add up to. It was said under my life path number: ‘You tend to be very black and white, you are direct, you say what you mean and mean what you say.’ Now, the second part is absolutely spot-on, however I got caught up on the ‘you tend to be very black and white’ portion.
I have always considered myself a very ‘grey area’ sort of person. My beliefs are my own and they are definitely out of the black and white realm and much more of a purple haze. But then I started thinking about examples like UFOs; I’m a firm believer in other species of life elsewhere and here. Now to me that would be a grey area (no pun intended). However, one of my favorite TV shows is Ancient Aliens, where the point of the show is to take historical data and theories and attempt to explain them through the possibility of alien actions. So, am I truly looking at the grey, or am I trying to neatly separate it back into black and white so that I can understand it? I believe that is exactly what I do! My beliefs are very esoteric, but what do I do when I come across something that doesn’t lay neatly in my mind? I do my research so that I can put it in its rightful place of understanding. I was truly amazed at this self revelation, I had never thought about it like that before, but the more I did think, the more I knew it was true.
I did this when I was drawn to the Native American culture. I was told years ago that I was part Native American because my birth-mother told my father it was part of her heritage. I have never known my birth-mother so I latched onto this tiny bit of information and read books upon books about their spiritual culture. Yes, their spiritual culture, because that is always what I’m drawn to. But it wasn’t because I needed to put Native-American spirituality into its neat little box, I needed to put my birth-mother there and this was the only tie to her that I had that I could actually do something about. I should say here that it didn’t help me to understand my birth-mother, but it diverted me for a few years in thinking the harder thoughts about her. It also helped that I was adopted and was able to enjoy a mother and extended family that through the years put her farther away in my thoughts. Over time, I came to the conclusion that I only had one mother, and she did not birth me, she loved and raised me.
I think it’s important to keep an open mind about who we are, and continue to delve into exactly who that is and update our understanding of self to enable growth. We are continuously learning new things, being introduced to new ways of thinking, ideas are constantly being batted around. Every once in a while, we need to stop and look inward and ask ourselves ‘am I the same person I was a year ago? Have my beliefs changed? Have I changed? And if so, how?’ We need to take time to understand ourselves and that takes reflection. Our life journey is our most important adventure and it begins from within.
I have to explain the featured picture. I have decades worth of very old photographs from my great aunt that is from my birth-father’s side of my family. I adored my great aunt, and could not part with all her lovely family photos she so cherished. I have them in an old trunk (that was also hers) I use as a side table and go through them every once in while and find new treasures. I found this one and fell in love with it because of its realism. So many of the pictures that I have of hers from the late 1800’s are very stuffy and posed with no real emotion, unless you look very carefully. This one stood out for the character of the three ladies, who are all very different and enjoying their journey in their own way, heedless of those around them. That’s how life should be, lived as you want to live it without caring who is watching.
Until next time, allow yourself to discover new aspects about your true nature and embrace them.
Recipe of the Day: Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of 1/2 inch diced butternut squash (take skin off, don’t use portion with seeds, probably two small squash or one very large one)
- 2 large or 4 small shallots thinly sliced
- 1 cup of chopped Crimini (baby Portabella) mushrooms
- 3 Tablespoons of fresh chopped sage
- 4 garlic cloves chopped very small
- 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth
- 1/2 pound of penne pasta
- 2 Tablespoons cup of fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup of sliced almonds
- 4 TBS of butter
- Parmesan Cheese (freshly shaved or grated)
- Salt/Pepper (I use lemon pepper)/Cumin to taste
- 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
Cleaning / Cutting the Butternut Squash (picture below just in case you’ve never had it before)
-Use only the portion without the seeds, which will always be in the larger portion of the squash
-It is VERY difficult to peel the squash, it’s better to cut in half then cut the skin off on the sides
-Cut lengthwise into long pieces then chop those into 1/2 inch cubes
Cooking Instructions
-Clean the squash, cut the onions, chop the sage, chop the mushrooms and grate the Parmesan cheese
-Put a pot of water on to boil (add a good tablespoon of salt when it comes to a boil, otherwise your pasta will taste like your pot)
-In a large skillet ad olive oil and heat on medium heat (I use a cast iron skillet, but that’s just me any skillet will do)
-Add your squash and add equal portions of salt/lemon pepper/cumin (about 2 TSP each) Stir until the seasoning is incorporated
-Fry the squash on medium heat, stirring occasionally until it is browned (about 15 minutes)
-Once the squash is browned add the shallots, mushrooms, garlic and sage with 2 TBS of butter and cook until shallots are wilted (about 5 minutes)
-When shallots are cooked through add in the chicken broth and other 2 TBS of butter and cook on medium (bubbling, but not boiling) until sauce is reduced to a nice consistency (about 10 minutes)
-After you’ve put in your chicken broth in the squash mixture, put your penne pasta in your water, this should be done very close to when the sauce is done
-When the pasta is done, add to the squash mixture with a slotted spoon directly from the pot of water (be sure to let the water drain from the slotted spoon before transferring to mixture)
-Stir the pasta into the squash mixture adding the lemon juice and almonds. If it needs a little more sauce (it seems a bit dry) add some pasta water to it.
-At the end, add Parmesan cheese.
On the Plate
There are Some Walks You Have to Take Alone
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote the quote ‘Nothing Can Bring You Peace But Yourself.’ He was a man ahead of his time, for he believed that all things were connected to God and therefore divine. A notion during the 1800’s that was a bit radical; today it would be embraced by many.
I saw this quote recently and it’s timely appearance made me think about my current circumstances for I believe that this is my next, and quite possibly, my hardest life lesson to learn. I was with my husband for over 23 years and after that I had a boyfriend for 5, but that is over now and I am without a partner.
I remember a conversation I had with my dear friend Channy when my husband and I broke up and I immediately went online to find a replacement. She chided me for moving so quickly, telling me to concentrate on other areas of my life. When I told her that I just wasn’t that person, that I didn’t feel whole unless I had a partner in my life, she was astonished. She couldn’t fathom a strong, independent woman such as myself needing a partner to feel fulfilled while at the same time she applauded the fact that I knew myself well enough to be honest about it.
As life does, this has changed. I know at this time in my life that I need to be at peace with myself, by myself. Just saying this is not going to make it happen of course, there is work to be done. I have that part of myself that feels like a total failure in my relationships. I have other parts of me that go to war with that feeling, pushing it down and telling it to go away. However, I believe that I must embrace that feeling, comfort it and say, ‘why yes, in some ways you did fail, but what did you learn?’ I’m still working on that, and will continue to do so, and that is why I’m choosing to be alone and find peace with myself for the first time in many decades.
I’m changing things in my life so that I can learn to love myself by myself. I’m doing that by embracing my metaphysical side and doing daily meditations. I’m also working out, but this time not just for my weight and trying to look my best for someone else, but for me and my overall health. I’m taking classes in things that interest me and enlighten me. I’m taking the moments when I’m sitting alone on the couch watching Hell’s Kitchen and not having anyone to laugh at Chef Ramsey with in stride, trying to enjoy that laughter with myself. It’s going to be an interesting journey and I look forward to learning more about me and enjoying what I learn.
Until next time, enjoy your alone moments to their fullest.
Recipe of the Day – Zucchini Pasta
There is no pasta in this recipe! Yep, Zucchini is the pasta and it’s AMAZING! But first things first, go out and buy yourself a Spiral Vegetable Slicer
You can get this on Amazon (I found mine at Home Goods for $29)
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic chopped
- 2 cup of chicken broth
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 2 Tsp: Salt, Lemon Pepper, Cumin (combine and make two portions)
- Parmesan Cheese (shaved is best, but any will do)
-Clean and cut bell pepper into 4 large pieces, rub with olive oil and salt/pepper to taste.
-Put bell pepper on a cookie sheet and bake at a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes (until brown on edges and soft)
-While the bell pepper is cooking, using a potato peeler take the dark green skin off of the zucchini and cut off both ends
-Put a plate on the end of the spiral maker so your zucchini goes on to it when when making your ‘pasta’
-In a saute pan, put in 1 TBS of butter and saute your onions and garlic with half the seasoning until cooked through and set aside
-When your bell pepper is done, put into a blender with the cooked onions and garlic and 1/2 cup of chicken broth and the rest of the seasoning and puree until smooth
-In a wok or big skillet put in your sauce and the rest of the chicken broth 1 TBS of butter and heat
-Once the sauce is heated put in your zucchini and cook until tender (not mushy)
-Once cooked (yes, test it!) top with Parmesan Cheese
In the pot (you can see that I didn’t take off all the green skin my first time around, it wasn’t bad, but better with it off)
On the Plate
(with roasted potatoes and pork chop…yum!)
Thoughts are Things – Make Them Good Ones
How many thoughts do you think you have in a day? What is your estimate – a thousand? Two thousand? Experts estimate that the mind thinks between 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts a day. That’s an average of 2500 – 3,300 thoughts per hour, or 41 – 55 thoughts per minute! That’s a lot of thoughts! How many of our thoughts are positive vs. negative? Some people have estimated that upwards of 70-80% of our daily thoughts are negative. This of course depends on the person and their thought process.
When my children were little and they would say something negative, I would say to them ‘that’s not very nice, let’s change that into something nice.’ I would work with them to help them develop a way to change their thought patterns. These lessons grew as they grew and eventually the ‘thoughts are things’ lessons became a regular mantra between me and my children. My son, who is now 23, and I were talking the other day and he was iterating to me a conversation he was having with someone who said to him ‘Thoughts are things, make them good ones.” He said he couldn’t believe what he was hearing and told the person he was talking to “You know, one of the first things I remember my Mom teaching me was ‘Thoughts are Things.’ I was happy to know that he has carried this into his adulthood, because it has served him well.
Thoughts are a form of energy, so they are things. Really! Has this ever happened to you: You have to be somewhere at a particular time and you are rushing around trying to get there on time and are constantly thinking ‘I’m going to be late, I’m going to be late,’ all the while you are going as fast as you can, but those thoughts persist and you end up being late? It’s happened to us all, but have you ever stopped to think that maybe if you had said to yourself ‘I’m going to be on time, I’m going to be on time,’ you could have changed the outcome and been on time? I’ve done this more times than I can say — and it works! Case in point: My car’s engine light came on the other day and it was making strange noises, and just like you I instantly thought ‘Oh, goodness how much is this going to cost me?’ I quickly caught myself and then started my mantra of “The problem with my car will be affordable.” I kept this up until my mechanic called me and told me it was some corrosion and the cost was something I could afford.
There have been times in my life when I was worrying over something and my thoughts turned negative. I catch myself, take a deep breath, and say at least 3 times ‘It’s going to be OK, everything will turn out the way it should.’ Not only are you changing your thought pattern and possibly the outcome of the situation with this positive thinking, it also makes you feel better internally, because you are cleaning out the negative thoughts that were making you anxious.
Is it possible to have 100% positive thoughts? Oh, that would be nice! However, it’s quite the challenge when you are thinking 41-55 thoughts per minute. But, you can make the percentage of positive thoughts increase over negative by being cognizant of your thoughts. When you are being negative, stop yourself, and change it into a positive. The more you practice this, the more you are changing your thought pattern into a more positive one vs. negative. Pretty soon, you will not be catching yourself so much, because your thoughts will already be positive without the effort.
I’m positive you can increase your happy thought patterns. Now all you have to do is believe it and practice it. 🙂
Recipe of the Day – Quiche Bites
Ingredients
-10 Eggs
-1/2 cup of milk
-1 cup of pepper jack cheese
-1 cup of Monterrey jack cheese
-1/2 cup of diced ham
-Spray oil (olive or coconut)
-One small muffin pan (24)
Recipe
>Preheat oven to 350
>Spray muffin pan with oil
>Combine eggs and milk and whisk well
>Pour egg mixture into a glass measuring cup or other cup that has a pour spout
>Fill each cup in the pan 2/3 of the way with the egg mixture
>Fill each cup with a portion of cheese & ham and press into egg mixture (if you don’t the cheese will burn instead of melt into egg mixture)
>Bake at 350 for 20 -25 minutes (until egg is a bit golden on top and toothpick comes out clean)
Note: When cooked the mixture will puff up like a souffle, and that is fine, because when you take it out of the oven, it will go back into place, giving you a perfect little Quiche bite
Connections
The other night I was sitting in bed writing, in an actual book, with an actual pen, no phone or computer in sight. Sounds crazy right? In my musings I wrote ‘The more we connect through technology, the more we disconnect from humanity.” I do believe there is a lot of truth in this. As technology gets more advanced (I mean we do have the Apple iWatch now), the more we are going to connect through a device rather than with each other.
I’m sure you’ve all seen these scenarios: A table at a restaurant with a bunch of people who all have their heads down over their phones. They are not interacting with each other, they are interacting with their devices. How about this one: you are walking down the street and you see someone, again head down looking at their device, and they are so enthralled that were you not paying attention they would have ran right into you? This is happening more and more, and I think that it’s making us less human.
I’m not saying throw your smartphone away and unplug your computer for life, what I’m suggesting is a balance. I read an article today about a woman who put her phone away whenever she was around any other person for a week. She only took it out when she was alone. This was a policy a co-worker of hers had and she decided to adopt it to see what would happen. You can read the article at the link given, but basically people interacted with her more because her nose wasn’t in her phone; they smiled more, asked more questions, and she was happier for it.
There are a lot of great things about technology: I can keep up with friends through social media that I don’t really hang out with, but still care about. I can video chat with my daughter when she is traveling. I can connect to new people through an online service and discover new things and make new friends. I can write a blog and reach people and hopefully give them a smile. I just believe it’s important to connect in real life as well, because technology will never be able to replace a hug, and hugs are important.
My challenge to you: For one day do not use any mobile device when you are around people, only when you are alone and see if it makes a difference. If you live through the day, try it again the next day and so on. I would love to hear how it goes, so leave me a comment, and I will write about your experiments in another post.
Until next time…make some real connections.
Recipe of the Day: Vege Pasta
Ingredients for Sauce:
-12 Cloves of Garlic
-1 Red Bell Pepper
-1 Onion
-1 small head of cauliflower (cut up in flowerettes)
-1 large yellow squash
-1/4 cup of olive oil
-1 TBS salt
-2 TSP of Lemon Pepper
-1 TSP of dried oregano
-1 TSP of dried basil
>Preheat oven to 375
>Chop all vegetables into large pieces and put in a large bowl
>Include Olive Oil, Salt, Lemon Pepper, Oregano, Basil in the bowl with veges and coat well.
>On a cookies sheet or shallow pan pour the veges out and make sure they are flat and separated and cook for 1 hour in the oven
>When veges are done put into a food processor and puree while streaming in 1/2 cup of olive oil until the sauce is smooth
>Transfer sauce into a saucepan and add:
-2 TBS Butter
-1/2 TSP of pepper flakes
-2 TSP of salt
-2 TSP of Lemon Pepper
-2 TSP of Oregano
(taste after it cooks on low for 10 minutes, and adjust seasoning to your liking)
>While sauce cooks on low, make your pasta
>When pasta is done mix with sauce and sprinkle shaved Parmesan on top
And this is what you get:
In the Pot
On the Plate
The Only Way to Fail in Life is to Abstain
I saw the quote ‘The Only Way to Fail in Life is to Abstain’ recently on Pinterest and thought it a perfect title for this post as I was planning on writing about shaking life up and trying new things. We all tend to get stuck in our day-to-day ruts and it’s difficult and a bit scary to break out of them and do something entirely different. I’m here to say, confront your fear and go for it!
In my quest to open myself up to life, one new thing I have recently done is to join Meet Up which is an online service that matches you up with different local groups of people with interests that range anywhere from hiking to learning French. You can check out different groups and join the ones you are attracted to. Once you are part of a group you are then notified of upcoming events that the group is having and then you can choose those you would like to participate in. I joined Meet Up to get myself out there and to meet new people and do new things, because I’ve been stuck in the ‘mom, work, mom, work, mom, work’ rut for over 20 years now and thought it was about time.
I had signed up for a Tarot Reading class about a month ago. I’ve always dabbled a bit with Tarot Cards, but have never really learned the correct way to read them. For those who are not familiar with Tarot Cards, they are a set of 78 cards that are used to guide people spiritually by being a vessel to help us understand the subtle energies the universe sends us. To give you an idea, before I started writing this post, I shuffled my Tarot deck and asked for a card to provide inspiration for this post and I turned over The Moon card. Though I have not reached this level in my new class, here are some snippets from my Tarot book that explains what the Moon Card means: “When the Moon card appears in your spread, it indicates this is a period of change and fluctuation; nothing remains stable or certain for long. The Moon calls on you to accept change and the cycles of life” It also went on to say “The Moon is a fortuitous card for writers and artists. It indicates bringing ideas from the subconscious to manifest as works of fiction, poetry, paintings, and sculpture” It always amazes me how intuitive the Tarot can be. My whole thought for this post was about trying new things, which of course is change.
Back to my Tarot class: I had actually forgotten about the class when I received a reminder in my email about it. To be honest, I didn’t even remember signing up for the class, just joining the group. I decided I was going to go and thought it would be fun and interesting. But as the date of the class got closer, I started questioning my decision; arguing with myself whether it was a good idea or not. I continued to argue up until the day of my class where I found myself in my car driving to a stranger’s house where I was going to meet a bunch of other strangers, and then I got really nervous. I almost turned the car around and said forget it. Instead, I took a deep breath, continued on my way while listening to that exasperating voice of my GPS and purposefully turned my nervous and negative thoughts into positive ones: It’s going to be fine. I’m going to meet some great people. I’m going to learn something I’ve wanted to learn for years. I kept up the optimistic litany until I arrived at the teacher’s door along with all the other members of the group who arrived at the same time. It turned out to be a wonderful class filled with kindhearted women. We sat there for almost three hours learning, chatting and sharing life stories. The whole experience was amazing and I’m so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and got my butt off the couch to experience it. I will continue to go to her class and am so enthusiastic about it, I may host one at my house in the future.
Life has so much to give us if we only reach out and grab it. I could have very easily turned around and went home, all the while making excuses to myself that it was probably for the best. Good thing I didn’t because I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the class and left feeling full of good energy. I’m proud of myself for conquering my fear through redirecting my nervous thoughts into positive affirmations which gave me the strength to face the unknown with an open heart. Sometimes we are our own worst barrier. We put up walls thinking that they will keep us safe, when in actuality all they are doing is keeping us separated from a better life. Now, go break down some walls and have some fun!
Recipe of the Day
Portobello Pleasures (One place where I’m always trying something new is the kitchen. I made this recipe up last night and it was delicious.)
Ingredients:
- 4 Portobello mushrooms
- 4 Chicken thighs
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 1 bunch of flat (Italian) parsley
- ¾ cup of Olive Oil (the good stuff)
- 2 Cups of grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 Cups of Gruyere cheese
- 1 Cup of grated parmesan cheese
- 2 Leeks sliced thinly
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced
- 1 TBS butter
- 2 TSP of salt
- 2 TSP of Lemon Pepper
- 1 TBS of Cumin
- 2 TSP garlic powder
- 1 TSP of salt
- 1 TSP of pepper
- ¼ Cup of White Wine (Sauvignon or Fume Blanc preferred)
- 1 Baguette
-Combine the salt, lemon pepper, cumin and garlic powder in a small bowl and mix well
-Season both sides of the chicken pieces with the season combination reserving a about a TSP to be used later.
-In a food processor (or get your workout on and mince yourself) combine garlic and parsley and chop until fine
-Combine the garlic, parsley and olive oil and the rest of the chicken seasoning in a large bowl or shallow pan and mix well
-Clean the Portobello mushrooms (take off stems and scrape the dark underside out and clean with dry paper towel…never use water to clean mushrooms)
-Using a flexible spatula scoop some of the garlic/parsley mixture and put into the middle of the mushrooms spreading it inside to coat and also coat the outside of the mushrooms and let them lay in the mixture.
-Fry your seasoned chicken in a combination of olive oil and a TBS of butter until its brown and done and set aside to cool.
-In the same oil that you cooked the chicken in (you might need to add a little more olive oil) sauté your leeks & bell pepper with a TSP of salt & pepper until cooked through but not mushy
-Grate your cheeses and mix them together
-In a ceramic or glass oven safe shallow pan take some of the garlic/parsley mixture and spread on the bottom of the pan
-Place your mushrooms in the pan open side up
-If you have some leftover garlic/parsley mixture in your bowl, add the grated cheese to it and mix
-Chop up your chicken and mix it with the cooked leeks & bell pepper and add a cup of your cheese mixture to it and mix well
-Portion out your chicken/leek/bell pepper/cheese mix and fill each mushroom evenly
-Top the mushrooms with the remaining cheese
-Pour ¼ cup of white wine to coat the bottom of the pan – do not pour over mushrooms, pour through the middle.
-Cook at 350 for 30 – 45 minutes or until the cheese is golden
Serve with some French bread, because that sauce in the bottom is worth soaking up!
In the Pan
On the Plate
Change Happens
I was thinking about the old saying ‘The more things change, the more they stay the same.’ And thought: Who came up with this saying, and what did they mean by it? Taking advantage of the fact that I literally have all answers at my fingertips, I looked it up. Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr was the author of the once much quoted saying, which was published in 1849 in Les Guêpes, a satirical toned publication in Paris. It seems Jean-Baptiste was known for his sense of humor and shared it through his writings. So, the saying isn’t a serious, thought-provoking epitaph that one must intellectually dig deeper to understand. It’s a joke, sarcastically saying that ‘the more things change…the more they are going to friggin’ change!
What can we learn from Jean-Baptiste’s wit, other than writing a random quote can be quoted by others not knowing what it means for hundreds of years? Maybe that laughing in the face of change might just be the best way to handle it and make the best of it. We all go through changes that are tough, but if we can enter into those situations with an open and positive heart, don’t we insure that at least part of the outcome of those changes is positive as well? I believe that any positive thought or gesture is never wasted, so I say yes.
Case in point: This Valentine’s Day was the first in many years in which I didn’t have a significant other to share it with. This is a bit tough because I was married on Valentine’s Day, and ever since my split with my husband I’m particularly sensitive on this day of love. This year I was looking at being alone on what would have been my 24th wedding anniversary. Now, I could cry, I could crawl into bed for the day and just let it pass me by, or just be plain miserable. Or, I could look at this in a positive way and celebrate the day love differently. I chose going positive and decided to spend the weekend with my best buddy Channy and our friend Kelly.
We decided we would spend the long weekend at Kelly’s house which is up in the country. There was quite a bit of driving involved because I had to drop my daughter off at her Father’s house which is two hours away and then drive to Kelly’s. Now, there were some deviations; Kelly was running late, traffic was getting bad and we had to switch up our plans. She decided to pick me up at my house since it was on the way, and then we were in the car for over 3 hours due to said traffic. But, as I said to all in the car ‘We are going to have an awesome weekend, so all this traffic will be worth it!’
Kelly lives by two cute little antique towns and we strolled around in the cold looking for somewhere to eat. After passing many places that were packed, we ended up at a quaint hotel that had a live band of three that played Credence Clearwater and other similar covers that were right up our ally. We sat in the dining room next to the bar and ordered up some yummy “we are not on a diet this weekend’ appetizers, some cocktails and happily munched away while tapping our feet to the music. Channy enjoyed chatting up the singer while he was taking a break, but that’s a whole other story. The next day, Valentine’s Day, we got up at our leisure, ate some leftovers from the night before, and then headed out to see where the day would take us. We ended up at this amazing little place called Pilot Peak Winery. This beautiful piece of heaven up in the hills is family run and because they were so busy that included two 7-year-old adorable grandsons. The family was wonderful and friendly, the wine was very good (bought three bottles) and they also served little appetizers to taste with the wine. It was a beautiful day, good wine, fabulous friends; a great start to our Valentine’s Day. As we were finishing up, the owner asked what we were going to do that night, and we said we would go out and have some dinner somewhere. She looked at us and said ‘It’s going to be packed out there tonight.’ And that’s when it dawned on us that of course it was going to be crazy, what were we thinking? So, we needed to change our plans. Back home we chatted, set the table up with candles and flowers, grilled up a couple of steaks and paired them with some of the tasty wine we had just bought. We ended up having a relaxing evening with great food, better company and a few extra bucks in our wallets. It is probably one of the best Valentine’s Day nights I’ve ever had, and it was just us girls.
It just goes to show you that even when the best laid plans get changed, you can make the best of it. The finest way to do that is to begin on a positive note, see how you can make the best of the change and see where it takes you. You never know, you might end up having one of the best days of your life.
Check Out Pilot Peak Winery: http://www.pilotpeak.com/
Food Tip of the Day: Kelly used olive oil and balsamic vinegar with seasoning on the steaks. I have never used balsamic before on steak but I will in the future, they were awesome!
Wine Tip of the Day: Don’t drink wine out of a glass with a lip on it, it changes the way it tastes.
And Now for Something Completely Different
I was on the phone with my dearest friend the other night and we began an interesting conversation about where we would be in 9 years. Screw the whole cookie cutter “5 years” which you constantly hear when you are starting out in life and asked in every single job interview. When you are our age, 51, you have to look at the even bigger picture because you’re old and your children are no longer young and in 9 years you are going to be 60.
When you are over 51 (When you are 50 you are thinking “that’s ok, 50 is good,” then all of the sudden you are 51 and you’re screaming: “I’m OVER 50!”) This is when your brain starts doing and thinking things you haven’t thought of in over half a century. It’s the mindset of course, you are over 50, so what have you….accomplished? Really, is that what it comes down to? Accomplishment is something you’ve done right, if I’m not mistaken. Which means that you should only look at those things in the last half century of your life that were perfect? If I only had the lessons that life gave me that were based on things that went well, I would have learned very little indeed. One of my greatest life lessons is knowing that my fails, falls and almost accomplishments have made me the person I am today, and will continue to shape who I am.
It is my vision to write this blog every nine days. I will be writing for the purpose of sharing our journey as we approach 60. This should prove to be interesting, as she has two sons, one that is possibly going into the Coast Guard at 20 years old and one that is still figuring out his path at 22. I have a 14 year old daughter that lives with me and is my payback. I don’t say that in a bad way, it’s just my Karma for being a pretty challenging kid. I also have a 23 year old son who cooks for a living in the city, and is so much smarter than I will ever be, its scary. Let’s not even get started that Channy and I are both divorced and I just broke up with my current boyfriend who is moving out in a month. And, that is just the tip of the proverbial ice berg of our lives.
Together, we do have some things to figure out, life challenges to meet head on and who knows what else. It promises to be a bumpy road with lots of switchbacks and precarious bumps. The good part about the next 9 years is that Channy and I will be together through it all, as we have been for the past 2 decades. We will support one another, give each other painful truths, cry on each other’s shoulder and most importantly laugh at it all and move on. Though sometimes, the crying and the laughter get all intermingled, because sometimes when you are crying the hardest, you just have to laugh.