On the Subject of Being

This ...

was written for me by someone I keep near to my heart.

To Be Without Apology

Why does the hurricane storm?

It blows and rips the very sea

It rages beyond control

Its outer shell tempered in the wind

It moves all in its path

Pushing and pulling, not to be subdued

Being just to be.

You are the hurricane

strong beyond measure.

Flares of emotion as gusts of wind

Not controlled by the whims of others

You move those in your path

Far beyond their imagined place in life

Taking them with you on your journey

Being just to be.

Why does the hurricane rest?

In the center of it is peace,

Calm and glassy surfaces reign

Surrounded by the mists it shines

An eye that sees beyond dark clouds

Solitude in the tempest

Being just to be

You are the hurricane

You have the tranquil pools

surrounded by the violence and action

A core of harmony to be shared

Those that brave the storm

May chance to glimpse your sunshine

Being just to be

Why is the hurricane perfect?

It makes no excuses for what it is

It holds no anger in its wind

No hatred to direct its action

No more or less can be expected

No superficial pretense

Being just to be

You are the hurricane

You hold no malice in  your heart

No justifications needed for injuries inflicted

You act not as an aggressor

But as a natural being

Your nature is to be yourself

Not to be changed, beaten or compromised

The simplistic beauty of embracing who you are

Without apology, or need of one

Being just to be.

 
Oregon 2009

written by J. Anderson

*****************

It comes at a time when ...
I choose to say only that ...

you know I just get through things.
I don't think about who I am in it all.
I just do what I do.
I dig my heels in, face and embrace head on
the challenges with which I am presented.


Sometimes for a fleeting moment,
you get the opportunity to see yourself
through eyes other than your own, and it's mind blowing.
what they see is so much more than you ever dream of giving yourself credit for.

No ...
it's humbling.
it's humbling because you weren't trying to be bigger than yourself.
you were just being you.


thank you with all of my heart.
I needed this extra gust of wind ...




p.s.

the hurricane reference... lol...
someone gifted me the nickname Hurricane Kate years and years ago.
Good or bad, it stuck. I happen to like it, apparently I'm not alone.

and clearly I've never photographed a hurricane,
I hope these pictures do your words justice.





















One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

Tyler Florence's Chicken and Dumplings

>

Ingredients

Chicken and Stock:

* 1 (3 to 31/2 pound) whole organic chicken

* 2 bay leaves

* 6 sprigs thyme

* 4 to 5 black peppercorns

* 1 head garlic, split through the equator

* 2 tablespoons salt

Directions

Buttermilk-Chive Dumplings:

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 tablespoon baking powder

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 2 eggs

* 1/4 cup chopped chives

* 3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

Sauce:

* 2 tablespoons butter

* 2 tablespoons oil

* 2 carrots, diced

* 2 stalks celery, diced

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 2 bay leaves

* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

* 6 cups chicken stock

* 1 cup frozen peas

* 1 cup frozen pearl onions

* 1/4 cup heavy cream

* Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish

* Chopped chives, for garnish

okay so I was craving just the dumpling.

For the stock:

Place the chicken and all stock ingredients in a large Dutch oven and cover with water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour until the chicken is tender. Skim the surface of fat and scum as it cooks.

When done remove the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the stock and shred the meat into big pieces - the stock will be used for the sauce and the chicken will be folded into it.

For the dumplings:

Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, using a whisk, lightly beat the eggs, chives and buttermilk together; pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold. Mix just until the dough comes together; the batter should be thick and cake-like.

To prepare sauce: In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the butter and oil. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, and bay leaves and saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add frozen peas and pearl onions.

Let sauce simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream.

Fold the reserved shredded chicken into the sauce and bring up to a simmer. Using 2 spoons, carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. The dumplings should cover the top of the sauce, but should not be touching or crowded. Let the dumplings poach for 10 to 15 minutes until they are firm and puffy. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and garnish with chopped chives before serving.

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

On the Subject of Happiness

Rhode Island

"The reason people find it so hard to be happy 

is that they always see the past better than it was, 

the present worse than it is, 

and the future less resolved than it will be"

 Marcel Pagnol


I don't know.
My past was better than I thought,
My present is always good.
My future is never anything I worry about.

and I'm very happy.

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

Canal Park

Catching up on editing I am, slowly but surely.
So I'm cranking out more than a few blogs this week.


I went out of town for the day last weekend ...
Where did you think I went? SMDH!      [grinning @ Lisa]

Always to my favorite big water.

Lake Superior.

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

And then there was Karaoke!

Sometimes you gotta post fluff. I'm posting fun fluff!~

the cast of singers!

let the singing begin!

and dancing!Lots of dancing!

and more singing!

EVERYBODY LOVES BOB!

and lots and lots of laughter! Was a great night!~

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways. 

Portrait of a Best Friend ...

One I have the privilege of calling brother.

"The sisters and brothers that you meet give you the materials which your character uses to build itself.
It is said that some people are born great, others achieve it, some have it thrust upon them.
In truth, the ways in which your character is built have to do with all three of those.
Those around you, those you choose, and those who choose you."
— Maya Angelou

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

Dinner out ...

 is never wasted on me either. 

I had a fantastic time!

Thank you Joshy.

Hanabi

Duluth

will write more on this restaurant soon.

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

Will's Tasty Robillita

I hope you like what I've done with your soup Will. : )

Ribollita is a wonderful, tasty Italian soup dating back to the 17th century. Served up with a wedge of Parmesan and some crusty Ciabatta, this is a perfect way to get your veggies in winter or summer!



Ingredients

* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling on bread
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 medium carrot, chopped
* Six slices smoked bacon, stripped of fat and chopped
* 2 cloves garlic; 1 minced; 1 whole
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste
* 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1 pound frozen kale or spinach; thawed and squeezed dry (you can certainly use the equivalent amount of fresh product in the summertime, or if available in winter)
* 1 (15-ounce) can cannelloni beans; drained and rinsed
* 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence
* 3 cups chicken stock (I use ‘Better than Boullion’ vegetable-based stock)
* 1 bay leaf

(Total raw-prep time: 1/2hr)






Directions

* Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat.
* Add the onion, carrot, bacon, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion and garlic have begun to caramelize and the bacon is starting to crisp (6-8min.).
* Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved.
* Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits.
* Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock and Bay leaf.
* Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer (just bubbling) for around 30 minutes.
* (Total cooking time – 45min.
* Total preparation time – 1 1/4hrs.)














It was tasty indeed!~












One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

Happy Valentines Day!

“The most important thing in life
is to learn how to give out love,
and to let it come in.”

Morrie Schwartz

a gesture of Love in the way of roses

is never wasted on me.
it's the gesture I love the most.
Someone thinking of you lovingly
and acts on that thought,
 is something not taken for granted,
not by me.

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

I wonder ...

if while everyone was annoyed with the cold
and having to shovel so much snow this winter ...

I wonder ...

if the person who owns this bike had a warm place to sleep. 

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways. 

On the Subject of Empowerment

I love your quotes Regina.

"Not once did accepting an excuse help me be happy, responsible or less stressed.

example:

(it's easier said than done or I just can't get it together, etc.) 

  Excuses were attempts to justify why 

I was not making the changes I knew I needed. 

Excuses gave my mind permission to beat me up. 

Excuses robbed me of my power.

I took my power back to create the life I want 

when I stopped accepting my excuses." 

- Om Shanti, Regina

 I would change one thing ...

...when I stopped accepting not only my excuses

but the excuses of others.

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways. 

On The Subject of Positivity

"Each of us has the choice to be a positive person. 

Being positive does not mean we are blind to the negativity going on in the world. 

Being positive is simply choosing the role of light house. 

We intentionally illuminate our piece of the world 

so more people can see that negativity does not serve us 

on our journey of becoming greater."

 Regina

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways. 

Let the Countdown Begin!!!

Just can't wait for the weekend to get here!!!

Something about getting out of town makes me smile!!!!

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

On the Subject of Positive Change

I couldn't resist after our phone conversation today.
I came across this and it was everything you were talking about.
I think Nike's version was shorter.
"Just do it."
Love,
Doctor Kate

Spain 
[ sailing trip, Ibiza Majorca, Formantero ]

Learning is the first step in making positive changes within yourself. 

Other factors are conviction, determination, action and effort. 

Learning and education help develop conviction about the need to change and increase your commitment. Conviction then develops into determination. 

Next, strong determination leads to action: a sustaine...d effort to implement the changes. 

This final factor of effort is critical. 

Dalai Lama.

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways. 

Two Words Today

 

GO STEELERS!
 

Congratulations Green Bay!

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

Horses, Boots, and Rescue

the words below are not mine,

but they damn sure fit like an old pair of  boots.

which I happen to love.

"Having balance is not letting anyone love you less then you love yourself."
"I am not one to live a "normal" life...
Everything's an adventure...
Everything's gonna be go big or go home...
My every move is made to better the world...
I need something more then just to breathe...
All I want, is for true happiness...
I try everyday to do something to better this world..
Its all part of my charm...."


 I made reference to animal cruelty in a recent post.
There are good people out there.
The person who wrote this is one of them,
and  in the animal rescue business.  

 Animal Rescue Unit

A.R.U is an organization dedicated to revealing 

the truth about animal suffering all over the world. 

We investigate, rehabilitate, educate and legislate for animal welfare. 

Our goal is to expose the hidden horrors that animals face 

in several different industries from commercial farming, fur trades, 

horse slaughter, back yard neglect, auctions and slaughter farms. 

We are made up of a group of people stationed all over the country 

for the utmost efficiency in our investigations and campaigns.  

If you would like to help out
or read about what they do please

CLICK HERE

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

On the Subject of the Human Condition

"There is a desire within each of us,

in the deep center of ourselves

that we call our heart.

We were born with it,

it is never completely satisfied,

and it never dies.

We are often unaware of it,

but it is always awake.

It is the Human desire for Love.

Every person in this Earth yearns to love,

to be loved, to know love.

Our true identity, our reason for being

is to be found in this desire.

Love is the "why" of life,

why we are functioning at all.

I am convinced

it is the fundamental energy

of the human spirit.

the fuel on which we run,

the wellspring of our vitality.

And grace,

which is the flowing,

creative activity, of love itself,

is what makes all goodness possible.

Love should come first,

it should be the beginning of,

and the reason for everything."

— Gerald G. May

I live these words.

Be love.

I am so blessed.

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.

Some days ...

feel taller than others.

 

[ NYC ]

Monumental even.

I like tall days.

Today was one of them.


: )

One Love. One Peace. Always and all ways.