One year ago today...

One year ago today, my journey of one day less than six months on the Appalachian Trail was completed.  Lately, I have been having literally, well, I don’t know any other way to describe them other than, flashbacks.  At the end of a powerful kundalini yoga class last night, I had a wondrous moment.  I was magically transported back to the top of one of the endless wet and rainy, blowing winds, rock covered mountains in southern Maine.  I am not sure how long I was mesmerized by this occurrence while supposedly trying to meditate, but when I awoke from my awake dreaming, I was for  a moment, still in Maine.  For those that are unfamiliar with my tales along this adventure, Maine, while encompassing only 280 something miles of the entire trail, was the only point where I considered myself nearly defeated by this apparent beast.  Fortunately, this period of time was brief, with the help of several angels guiding me along my path. 
 
By the time I had reached southern Maine, I had endured many emotional states… From the good, to the bad, and certainly the ugly….as well as everything in between.  When recalling moments from my long journey and speaking to others, I am usually fairly vague about particulars because there really is no definitive way to relate all that happens to one while hiking the trail.  It was so much more than transporting myself 2,179 miles.  I find myself not talking about it because there is simply too much to tell. 

So why would I transport myself back to one of the most terrifying moments of the entire epic journey while peacefully meditating? 

In a way, you leave a part of your “self” behind.  You leave behind your fears and grow stronger as you realize there is nothing you cannot do if you believe it to be so. 

I love this poem

On a day when the wind is perfect the sail just needs to open and the world is full of beauty. Today is such a day. My eyes are like the sun that makes promises; the promise of life that it always keeps each morning. The living heart gives to us as does that luminous sphere, both caress the earth with great tenderness. This is the breeze that can enter the soul. This love I know plays a drum. Arms move around me; who can contain their self before my beauty? Peace is wonderful but ecstatic dance is more fun, and less narcissistic: gregarious He makes our lips. On a day when the wind is perfect the sail just needs to open and the love starts. Today is such a day. -- Rumi

New moon in Virgo

Finally, the darkest of nights
with the lights turned down
I light a candle and set it on the table behind me
and when I turn around...
pure wonderment
permeates my essence
but a giant presence reflected upon the wall
ecstatically moving along with the music
in my mind I can even see the laughter
that bounces from her mouth
for she is a being full of spirit
enchanted by the new moon

Pizza!

Tired of soggy bottom pizza?  Well we found the answer.  A cast iron pizza pan.  Using our hand ground whole wheat makes for a sometimes bread-like pizza dough...until now.  This four hundred pound pan is just the ticket.  With just the tiniest amount of oil on it, this pan made our pizza crispy and delicious.  Of course having our own home grown veggies and herbs is a big part of the excitement as well.  We picked our first fully ripened beautiful bright red Marconi pepper to slice on top and that was the icing on the cake. 
This was by far the best pizza we have made yet.  AND...a million times better than what anyone can serve you from a restaurant. 
Pizza anyone?

Why look...it's a "Dragonfly"!

Dragonfly brings us a message of light.  Be open to a new perspective and change.  Open up your mind and relish the transformation to the new.  The adventure is always glorious.

"Journey"

"Journey" - 5" x 7" linocut on paper

that ringing in your ear...
the sense of deja vu...
the butterflies in your stomach...
chill bumps at the sound of something that rings true...
feeling woozy from jumping up too quickly...
a striking coincidence...
Coincidence?
or not
maybe a sign
maybe a wink from a higher Self
messages are all around us
every day is full of magic if you call it forth
bombarded. 
humans are literally bombarded with constant stimulus
from every direction
we have a choice which messages to follow
a conscious choice
are you listening now?
i say these things only as a reminder to myself.

"Mother Earth"

"Mother Earth"

We are not the rulers of this land, the people on the earth.  We are part of the earth.  We are just one of the infinite many that call earth home.  How we treat mother earth is how we treat ourselves.  She is here to protect us and guide us yet some act like the earth is ours to do with as we please. We are not the rulers of this land.  We are part of the earth.... Love your mother, she certainly loves you.

Surprise. It's another zucchini.

Well, it is finally here.....the first fruits of labor.  Yes, squash and zucchini always win don't they?  Too bad the tomatoes and peppers don't grow this quickly...but anyway....I digress.  Zucchini are pretty much coming in every day.  Several a day in fact.  When I planted the uh...well....lets see....ahem... ten plants...it was cold.  I know, I know.  You don't have to say it. 
Vegetables on the store shelf in February leave a little something to be desired if you know what I mean...and come at a high price, not just in currency.   I could not wait to eat our own vegetables.  Any vegetable for that matter.  And of course I thought back then that you could never possibly have too many zucchini.   Well I am here to tell you that I was wrong.  You can in fact have too many zucchini plants. 

I doubt I am alone in my exuberance for sowing seeds in the spring.  Assuming this is correct, I thought I would share a great idea that a friend gave me about what she does with her inevitable deluge of zucchini squash.  She shreds it and freezes it. I think that is a great idea! Later she adds it to veggie lasagna and makes zucchini bread, etc.  The sky is the limit.  With this in mind, it is time to get creative with that 16th zucchini.  After all... in February I am sure I would give anything for a fresh vegetable or two from our long forgotten garden. 
***Written with love and gratitude for the abundance our garden brings***

Just another fun filled childhood anecdote...

When I was little, my mother was a chef at an upscale French restaurant.  Being an avid connoisseur of fish sticks and tater tots, I was unfamiliar with many of the fancy concoctions that came out of that kitchen.  Many afternoons after school I would end up hanging around the kitchen, doing my best to stay out of the way, sneaking as much bread, butter, and chocolate mousse that I could get my little hands on. 
One day Denise, one of the other chefs, said she had made a surprise for me.  She handed me a plate.  Upon first glance, I had no idea what it even was as I had never eaten such a thing as this.  It was a large fluffy crepe covered with sugar. Feeling my obsession for sweets surge, I eagerly grabbed the plate and absconded to a table in the back of the restaurant.  I took the first bite and at that moment with a huge mouthful partially chewed, I began to panic. This was by far the most disgusting thing I had ever put in my mouth. 

Fast-forward twenty years to Paris, France, where again...you guessed it...somebody hands me a crepe.   This time filled with one of my favorite treats, Nutella.  Yes.  I proceed to scrape the Nutella out and discard the delicate pancake in which it was wrapped, without even tasting it. 

So what does all this have to do with the price of tea in China?  Nothing.  I just thought it would make an interesting intro into my blog about the dish I made last night for dinner.... Buckwheat crepes with kale, potato, and roasted red pepper sauce.  Yesssireee. 

Of course this was my very first foray into the world of crepe making and I must say, I was most pleasantly surprised.  Having a bunch of organic fresh kale given to me by my dear friend was motivation to go beyond the bounds of just any ho-hum dinner.  It all worked quite well together and turned out to be a spectacular recipe.
Why, you ask? Well, I will tell you why. 
In my quest to flow with the universe, try new things, eliminate negativity, and experience all there is to experience, I thought...what the heck.  I am certainly glad I did.

Beets! Who knew they were so scrumptious!?!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the day with a dear friend, learning how to can pickled beets.  The day before yesterday I would have told you that I was not a fan of beets.  In fact, I might have told you I thought they tasted like dirt.  Today, I have a completely different story to tell and I am already including beets in all their magenta red glory, in next year's garden.  Seriously!  Sometimes we just have to open our minds and let new experiences inside.
First, we harvested the beets.  Although she had been thinning them by using the greens in various dishes, there were tons of beets...two HUGE armfuls actually. After removing the beets from the greens, leaving about an inch of stems, we washed the greens and stored them for some other delectable purpose.  We scrubbed the beets to remove any remaining soil.  Next, we boiled the beets for about 15 minutes or so...enough that the skins came off easily.  After cutting the top and the bottom off, the skins literally slipped right off like magic.  (Before the actual food preparation, all the canning jars, lids, and pots need to be heated and sterilized to remove any possibility of contamination.  Long term food storage needs to be done in a careful and clean fashion...please refer to a good guide for exact directions.)
Then she made a fragrant concoction of apple cider vinegar, sugar, and spices to add to the jars with the beets and onions.    After slicing and layering the beets and onions, the heated liquid was poured over the top.  She sealed the lids and screwed on the bands and put them in the pots to process.  Pickled beets take about 30 minutes to complete. 

The jars were absolutely beautiful! (I know, I know...where is the picture?  I forgot to take one if you can believe it!)  They were full of a deep magenta red mixture that one just has to experience to appreciate.  These were not the cold, flaccid, crinkle-cut things you find on a mediocre salad bar. (The reason for my aforementioned distaste of beets.)  When I tasted one of these fresh, organic, lovingly-grown beets after they came out of the pot, I had an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. Another mysterious vegetable to add to the growing list of favorites.  So...... beets anyone?