Wake up it's your life

Farewell WAKEUP...Welcome Mandala Reflections!

2011-11-01T11:13:00.004-05:00

As I wrote in my last post, I am turning over a new leaf and starting a new blog! I have not yet decided how I will handle the remains of WAKEUP...but I am okay with leaving it be on its own in cyberspace for awhile. Seems as though this site recently has been getting world attention due to the word "horus," which I used in a random post long ago. If any faraway visitors are reading this note and care to comment why they are looking up "horus" so often recently, I am very curious to know what I'm missing! I also owe you an apology, because I know that this website likely lacked the information you were looking for.

So, without further ado, here is the drafty draft of my newer and hopefully improved website, Mandala Reflections.

A few thoughts on the site so far:

1) The name is not as catchy as this one (in my opinion), but the framework the Mandala provides for discussion and blogging about the topics I'm passionate about was too perfect to pass up. I could eventually change the name, but for now I think it's a great placeholder. To learn more about why I had to include the mandala, check out the About tab. It's brief, but hopefully as I have more time to develop this blog, I can expand this section a bit more to help clarify.

2) Unfortunately, I did not have time to design it like I wanted to and have not been able to put it together perfectly. In other words, it's a work in progress--aren't we all. Hopefully this piece will develop more in the next few months.

3) I love that the birth of this blog was on October 31, Halloween. My first post will explain further why this "new beginning" and the "death" of WAKEUP are fitting to this ancient season's holiday.

Thank you always for stopping by, and I hope to see you at Mandala Reflections. I have not figured out how the following system works on Wordpress yet, but if you know, I hope you follow me :)

Much love!

Blog Site Update

2011-10-05T09:49:00.004-05:00

For those of you who check WAKEUP here and again, I'd like to share a word on my absence and shotty posting.

To cut out the abstract and metaphorical crap (I'm not feeling it today), what I'd like to say is that I have found a new purpose and focus in my life which is calling me to refashion both my life and subsequently, my blog.

As I become comfortable in my recent life purpose, I feel ready to take the plunge and create something new. I put the deadline for the beginnings of a new website for November 1st. That's less than a month. In the meantime I will be sketching and brainstorming a layout that is more personal than the pre-made templates I have worked with in the past. We'll see, perhaps I let go of that ambition, but only time will tell.

The content will not be much different from what I have been doing all along, but since I have figured out what ties it all together, I hope to provide you with a more focused blog for a happier reading.

Please feel free to shoot me any comments about what you may have enjoyed about this blog or disliked if you are feeling moved. Otherwise, I hope you follow me to the next site, which I will share with you once I have it up and running!

Thanks for reading.

Social Networking Comes to Life: Meetup

2011-08-18T11:43:00.009-05:00

Today I was clicking around online, looking for a writers' group in St. Paul and wound up on this website called Meetup. Based out of New York, this company improves social networking by providing a site that aims to connect people in real life.

I guess Meetup started in 2001 and this year some serious changes occurred to their formatting. Many veteran users are frustrated, but from my newbie, rose-colored lenses perspective, I am excited about this find, because I think it offers another opportunity for me to connect with cool happenings in my community.

All you need to do to find a meetup group is enter your location and the kind of meeting you want to find, whether it be for a book club or a Russian Martial Arts group (yes--this is a real group that exists in NC with 58 members and counting). The possibilities are endless, and if you can't find a meetup group, then you can create one.

On their homepage, you can see the recent RSVPs to meetup, and it's impressive. Every second there are people across the world meeting up. This website's purpose is to help local groups organize, and it seems to be effective. I look forward to trying it. In this day and age when people feel so disconnected, I find Meetup to be a creative way to integrate our reliance on computer applications with our desire to build relationships with people.

If you are interested in being part of the Meetup team, and already live in NY or would like to, looks like they are currently hiring for a variety of positions.

For more information about Meetup, take a look at their blog or follow them on Twitter: @Meetup.

What's the purpose of blogging? (of life?)

2011-07-12T21:47:00.008-05:00

Today I had the opportunity to read the shy beginnings of a friend's first blog which is off to an amazing start. I can't wait to feature her work once the site is ready to run, and most important, I can't wait to read more.

After reading her blog, I had an epiphany. It was quite obvious.

I realized that a really good blog serves a really good purpose. Whether or not the purpose is really good is determined by the writer and the reader. On the writer's behalf the purpose must fufill some sort of itch within. For the reader, the blog's purpose must also fit within some sort of niche and stand out among the long list of potential blogs a reader may choose to enjoy along with their morning cup of coffee.

Whether or not the purpose is recognized by its author, all blogs serve some sort of a purpose. The purpose may be to inform about a particular topic, it may be to persuade or it may be to induce action. Maybe it is about getting a grant for an organization. The blog might just be something that the writer wants to do because of a personal motive. Maybe it is not about readership but about writing poetry. Or perhaps it is more of journal, a way to record personal events in order to share with friends and family abroad. The list goes on.

Regardless of the purpose behind a blog, it seems that occassional "purpose check-ins" are helpful to have to keep one focused. In today's day and age, its quite easy to forget where you are going and why. In that sense, defining the purpose of a blog is similar to fine tuning one's life purpose.

At each moment in our lives we walk with a different purpose. While it shifts and changes from time to time, the importance of sitting back and reflecting on where you've been and where you want to be is necessary in order to be aware of what is important to you and what you want to be doing.

Recently I was asked to be a guest blogger by my friend Katie. Her blog, Hotdish & Catfish, was a result of two kindred spirits finding themselves separated by states. Their blog started in order to share "good stories and unique observations of life north (Katie) and south (Lauren) of the Mason Dixon" (as pulled from their About tab).

This request, led me again to note the necessity of having a purpose in my blog (and in my life). For a moment, I pondered what it was I could write about, and I realized I had forgotten what my blog was about...I recognized that if someone asked me what my blog was about, I would have to stutter for a moment, because, well, it's about a lot of stuff and I can't really put my finger on it in a one word sort of answer.

Well, then I looked at my blog page and saw that I wrote "This is a blog about life."

Life.

Wow. Now that's one hell of a "one word" descriptor for my posts and purpose. Oh yeah, "Wake up it's your life." It's all faintly coming back to me.

This realization has led me again to ponder my purpose here (both in the blogosphere and in real life). I started this blog almost 3 years ago, and I think it's time to have a "purpose check-in" to re-evaluate why I am here and what I want to accomplish with this blog.

So to the few of you reading, stay tuned for future updates on a possible new direction/focus. This weekend I am excited to meet with a friend of mine, also known as the Duchess of Windmill, who is working on her Communications and Public Relations degree.

Among the usual friendly gossip, we plan to talk about branding and purpose. While I do not know a lot about where I'm heading, I know one thing I can assure you. My authentic voice will be heard in my blog, through whatever sound wave that may be, white noise or otherwise.

Authentic Voices

2011-07-08T23:32:00.008-05:00

The other night with a pair of dear friends, one of those conversations started, the kind that pokes at the basic question of life and being.

Of course we did not come to a definitive conclusion about much, but the whole topic did strike a chord within me and brought me here to write.

In particular, we talked about the recent human rights struggle that the homosexual population is battling. In relation to their movement, we recognized how over time, there have been many similar battles but just in different forms.

For example, we talked about the civil rights movement and the fight for equality for African American folks. We talked about the friction of religion and how that has colored our world history.

We questioned whether or not anything has really changed at all with our species. Have we really evolved like they say or are we just humans becoming ourselves in a different era with different challenges? Although we are in a different time, we wondered if the challenges we face are really all that different.

We then pondered, if and when the homosexual crowd gets the equality they deserve, what personal battle will be on deck that we might not even be aware of? I'm not sure. But it's all really interesting to think about, and I've come to the momentary conclusion that these struggles have a lot to do with people finding their authentic voice and empowering themselves to use it.

This idea is emphasized by one of my favorite writers, Shaun McNiff. In his book, Trust the process: An artist's guide to letting go, he notes how one expression can be the stimulus for another creation/expression.

He says, "one thing is always growing from another" and that the source of this growth is life (p. 164). He says the reason why we paint from nature or write about our life experiences is because we are moved by life and all its events, people, problems, memories, scenes, patterns, gestures and creations of others or any other things, really.

He adds, "Creation is constantly playing different variations on themes and restating basic truths. The more we work at originality, the more we return to the same fundamentals which are renewed in each historical period by those who express them in appealing and striking ways" (p.165).

He goes on to say "Original statements keep returning to origins but in a style that is authentic to the person making the expression. The source never can be copied because it doesn't exist anywhere in a fixed form. It can only be interpreted" (p. 165).

These words makes me realize that what is happening with the gay community right now is not totally unique or original but is yet another expression of people being people.

In this light, suddenly life seems simple to me. What every culture and people have needed throughout time has been a space and some encouragement for authentic and sincere expression.

These issues and challenges are not original or new, and although McNiff writes in relation to creating art, I think his point speaks well to life in general; "If we liberate our personal and often idiosyncratic styles, we will create with individuality and vitality" (p. 165).

In other words, if we can all find our authentic voices and use them, we will learn how to appreciate and be inspired by other forms of expression and being. And as we accept ourselves and others, we may finally thrive as a people.

Touched by an Angel

2011-07-07T23:17:00.004-05:00

A poem by Maya Angelou

We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.

We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.

--
Felt like sharing the Maya Angelou poem that was read during the ceremony at my wedding some weeks back :) Despite being immensely tired today, I am so very thankful to be alive and to know love.

On becoming a yogini and "Doing Yoga"

2011-07-06T21:48:00.013-05:00

The other day, Jay and I went out for a bite to eat and we began talking about "The 5 year plan." And no, I am not referring to when we will be making babies (although that seems about right, doesn't it?) Ha! In all seriousness, when we talked about this plan, we really were referring to where we wanted to be in five years.

Per usual, I began my list of goals slowly and then it rapidly began to grow into a mountain. Right now, while a million things are on my mind, I'd like to share an important goal I have set that is necessary to my well-being. I promised to myself to truly deepen my yoga practice in the next five years (that means practicing more outside of class!) Part of my dedication to this goal I plan to illustrate in this blog, through reflections as well as through the sharing of asanas (poses) that are meaningful to me.

Just a little info on my yoga story...
I started "yoga" in high school, thanks to Gaiam's lovely home DVDs (!) and a clearance tag--I'm a sucker for sales. During that time, the poses brought me into my body and cleared my busy mind. The fact a low-quality DVD offered that much peace and calm to my mind, body and soul, caused me to wonder what would happen if I actually knew what yoga was all about.

After I enjoyed the DVD, I had the guts to try some yoga fitness classes. At this point in time I recognized that something was missing from my practice. I knew there was more to what the lady on the TV screen had to say, and I knew there was more to it than what all those good-looking yoga people in tight fancy clothes said at the gym. I also recognized that there was much more to yoga than the U.S. chose to market, and for the past few years I have dedicated myself to finding the most genuine path to yoga a girl can find in Minnesota.

Three years ago, I found the Institute of the Himalayan Tradition (IHT) in St. Paul, and I have been attending classes regularly now for 10 months. While I have had my ups and downs with my practice, I find myself coming back to this place and this way of yoga practice (life). What they teach there truly resonates with me.

IHT teaches Raja Yoga and their teachings come from a 3,000 year + tradition. This kind of yoga really focuses on the mind through meditation.

With Raja Yoga (and any type of yoga tradition), there is so much to be said and so much to learn. However, for now I am not going to go into all the details--I'm too tired and will save it for future posts.

However, I won't waste all of your time--there is one important thing to note about "yoga" (and out comes the English major within me). The phrase "to do yoga" is often misstated.

Yoga refers to a discipline--a whole way of living. So when people say they "do yoga," chances are they do not actually follow the traditional ways of someone who lives the yoga path but they simply do some form of a yoga pose and nothing more. That's fine. In sanskrit, a pose in yoga is called an asana .

Therefore, for the majority of people out there practicing yoga poses, now you can refine your yoga know-how and impress someone by telling them that you do some wicked asanas.

Community Green at the Present Moment

2011-07-04T22:33:00.021-05:00

In case you were wondering, this blog is a writing sample I submitted for work (part of our job is to web journal about what our teams have been up to). I decided to keep this post on my personal blog, because I haven't written in awhile and this post, formal as it may be does provide an update on my recent life/summer work!

(Photo courtesy of group leader, K. Johnson, taken 06/29/11)

Pictured above are four members of Community Green, standing outside of Present Moment, located near the corner of 36th Street West and Grand Avenue in Minneapolis. Packed with a wide variety of herbs, books and unusual trinkets, this store also provides an office home to Dr. Andrew Lucking, ND, who has practiced naturopathic medicine for over 25 years.

Because part of Community Green's mission is to learn about plants and how they affect human health, the purpose of our visit was to learn more about medicinal uses of plants.

During our meeting with Dr. Lucking, ND, our team had the opportunity to learn about plant medicine and more specifically about 16 commonly used herbs. Starting with Angelica and ending with Zingiber (Ginger), our group took notes diligently and tasted each herb.

(Photo courtesy of group leader, K. Johnson, taken 06/29/11)

Of the many herbs tasted, it was no surprise that licorice was the most popular among our team members...at least at the beginning of the taste testing. For the first time in weeks, group members declined seconds of a sugary treat. It wasn't hard to say "No" after they learned (and tasted) how licorice is actually 50 times sweeter than sugar.

We also learned that licorice is one of the most ancient, medicinal herbs, dating back at least 4,000 years. This perennial shrub grows from three to seven feet high and fairs well in a temperate climate. Its valued properties are found in the runners and the roots, which can be harvested in the fall. As we tasted, licorice root is not used fresh but dried to lock in the medicinal properties.

Considered a "superior" plant drug, licorice is useful in a variety of health conditions. It is anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial, etc. In general, licorice benefits the gastrointestinal tract and boosts the immune system. In our case, it boosted our energy, allowing us to pay attention to the remainder of Dr. Lucking's presentation.

At the end of the day, as noted in group reflection, the trip was an overall success. Two members agreed that the field trip helped them learn about natural options to consider when dealing with health problems and that medicinal plants can be a good addition to "regular medicine." Another student journaled, "It was the best!" While our last team member wrote, "Present Moment opened my mind to new things."

As a group, we now look forward to the challenge of unpacking this new knowledge and sharing what we learned at Present Moment in our team's official presentation about plants and health which will be delivered to various, local nonprofit organizations throughout the month of August.

--
Community Green is a group of young adults (14-15 year olds) that are learning about nonprofit organizations and how plants affect the environment and our health. To read more about Community Green and the Urban Garden Youth Employment (UGYE) team, please visit the UGYE website and look for us under Community Green.

Naturopathic medicine blends centuries-old natural healing therapies with the advances of scientific knowledge. In a nutshell, naturopaths believe in nature's healing power and in the human body's ability to heal itself. For more information about naturopathy, check out the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's (NCCAM) webpage.

Work--what does it mean?

2011-06-01T11:43:00.008-05:00

After meeting our officiant last night, Jay and I finally have our ceremony put together. When I say finally, I actually mean we sat down and did it all in one day--nothing arduous or well-planned out or anything like that. However, for what it's worth I am pleased with the readings we chose. One is a poem by Maya Angelou and the other piece is an excerpt from Kahlil Gibran's work, The Prophet.

Since I had some time to kill today (or more likely felt like procrastinating), I decided to read Gibran's whole book, and I found it a quick and easy read, with some parts more meaningful to me than others.

I want to highlight his section that discusses work. While marriage and love and all that good stuff is on my mind a lot these days (and Gibran talks about them in the book, as well), so is the important topic of work (and I think this latter topic relates to a lot of people right now).

Below I include some quotes that spoke to me. Interestingly enough as I read through this particular section (On work), I found that love and marriage are actually quite connected to work; in fact, from Gibran's perspective, seems as though love and work are married to one another--they are deeply connected. Gibran also notes that work is one with the earth's energy and being--which I like, of course :)

Gibran says:

"You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth."

"When you work you fulfill a part of earth’s furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born, and keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life and to love life through labour is to be intimate with life’s inmost secret."

Related to the importance of all occupations and types of work, Gibran notes, "The wind speaks not more sweetly to the giant oaks than to the least of all the blades of grass. And he alone is great who turns the voice of the wind into a song made sweeter by his own loving."

"Work is love made visible."

Food for thought:

* What does work mean to you?

* Do you think that your "work is love made visible"? Why or why not?

* What would happen if mainstream culture found Gibran's observations to be real possibilities in our lives and in our work? What would work mean to us, then? What would the world look like? What would our life be like? What would we be like?

* What holds us back from believing that the work we do can be part of the life we live and that we can be in love with that life and the work?

* In response to Gibran's comment that "loving life through labour is to be intimate with life's inmost secret," what are the implications for the jobless?

* How can we find work for all people? Or, more appropriately, how do we appreciate the gifts each individual brings forth into the world?

* How do we find the work that is already within ourselves, and once we know it, how do we go about sharing ourselves with the world?

My soul is still alive

2011-05-17T14:40:00.005-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know that I will be back to blogging more regularly starting soon--when soon is, I am not sure, but it will be soon I know. I've been in the middle of finishing my thesis and preparing for a wedding, so I have not been around much to post.

What I will leave you with is a quote that I have been pondering a lot lately, from Vaclav Havel (playwright, prisoner, former president of Czech republic) about the importance of soul work:

"Consciousness precedes being...for this reason, the salvation of this human world lies nowhere else than in the human heart, in the human power to reflect, in human modesty, and in human responibility. Without a global revolution in the sphere of human consciousness, nothing will change for the better."

If that's not enough to get you thinking, this quote is a nice pairing for more reflection:

"What is soul? Consciousness. The more awareness, the deeper the soul. When such essence overflows, you feel sacredness around." -RUMI

In honor of Earth Day (3 days late)

2011-04-25T14:13:00.005-05:00

Here is a video in honor of Earth Day. Join the new anthem!

Sometimes we must laugh instead of cry. This video makes me laugh.

Beware, you need headphones for this one if you are at work :)

Belated Newsflash: April is National Poetry Month

2011-04-25T12:36:00.007-05:00

This month has been incredibly taxing (no pun intended) on our household. We are a little over a month away from our wedding date. My partner is working on finding a new career path. I am less than one month away from being done with graduate school classes. I am starting another "figuring out my life" chapter in my story...will it ever really end? Needless to say, on top of all other daily challenges, there has been a bit of stress happening here.

Recently I have visited my blog wanting to say something or meaning to say something but then feeling like I had nothing to say that could be put into a neat, compact, little motivational/genuine post. Truthfully, lately I have felt a bit without significant purpose in the blogosphere which is most definitely a reflection of how I find myself feeling in "real life".

However, it's been long enough, and I am tired of wandering in thought and not writing something down. So I came on here to write about the first idea that came to mind, and my intial thought is about poetry.

So. Poetry. Do you read it? It's okay to be honest and admit that you don't pay much attention to poetry. I know that I don't. It's also okay to not like poetry. At first I really didn't like poetry much at all.

Honestly, why I'm thinking about poetry is because April is National Poetry Month--I found out on Twitter. So, see, Twitter's not that bad.

Since I heard about it, I have visited various websites devoted to poetry and began my own poetry anthology online. These acts are more than I've ever done for poetry on my own behalf, my whole life.

However, while browsing these sites, I realized that I do not hold many poems near and dear to my heart. And I wondered why. I recognized too, that spoken word outside of musical lyrics seems to be less and less apparent and accessible today. With all the forms of social media that require a minimal set of characters and often no audio-aspect, I can see how poetry seems to be dying.

I also noted that the poetry that I was introduced to as an English major was often poetry that did not always speak to my story or resonate with me. Or I couldn't understand it. Some of that reasoning may lie in the fact that much of the poets I studied were a bunch of really old, dead, white guys. I'm not sure, it's just a guess.

In addition, I admit that I also have felt like the poetry I knew belonged to the upper-class--to those people that frequent theatre and enjoy reciting old poems in Middle-English or telling Shakespearean inside jokes. To this point, just last month I attended a poetry reading happening a mile away from my home in a supper club joint and found that the people there were all white-haired, white people, talking about white problems. Then I thought about the people who show up at the local bar for the weekly, open-mic, spoken word sessions. I wondered where is the space/place where these two crowds overlap/intersect, and I wondered what is poetry, anyway?

I came to the thought that regardless of who it comes from (white dead guy or otherwise), all great poems offer great wisdom for people today and also allow people to express themselves in ways that cannot be heard without the lyrical fusion of one's authentic voice mixed with playfulness. With that said I am now on a hunt for poems that use language and topics that speak to me. I am also back to writing poetry. It's not easy, but it's fun.

In honor of National Poetry Month, I'd like to share with you a recent poem that I became aquainted with, thanks to my future-sister-in-law, Anne. She is always reading poetry up North and around town and the other day she posted a lovely poem online that touched me. It's a simple poem about rain, which I relate to as I have been reflecting on Earth day and watching the Spring raindrops fall in Minnesota.

Capturing the Sound of Rain by Raymond A. Foss

Listening to the timpani
the rhythm of the rain
the rap, the tap,
...the ratta-tat-tat,
the staccato of the drumming
on the roof of the van

The storm raging ‘round us
in the stillness of the parking lot
trying to drum to the beat
on laps and the steering wheel
keeping time with the chaos
the randomness of the clatter

Too few drummers for the task
capturing the sound of rain

Also, if you are still reading you get the bonus of reading a poem I wrote two years ago--the last poem I wrote. It was inspired by love as well as a conversation I had with some friends about how anybody can be an artist.

A poem about love by Yours Truly

Tired minds and worried brows
Will make their mark,
Forget to sow
Those hopes, and dreams, and fears
We can’t remember.

Locked pinkies under the sheets,
Hot legs touched by cooling feets,
I rest my head against your furless shoulder.

Love awakens our holy hearts,
Puts to rest those broken parts;
Heals some memories at the start
Within us, stirring ‘til morning.

At the bright sun, the cock then cries,
“Love is patient, love is kind,”
creating for us, in us, those blind—
Blind-spots.
Hiding all our fears and faults,
Protecting shields from reckless thoughts.
Light rays shine dismantling waves
And every falsehood melts away…

Liquids dissipating
Into thick, heavy air—
The ending nightmare
Bobs somewhere
In atmosphere-
Now plainly forgotten.

But here in bed, still, I lay.
Caressing your calm,
Sleeping arm.
My very core, it plays
Pretty picture shows

They enter in, then out
My soul.

Want to start your own poetry notebook? Check out Poets.org.

Spring cleaning and letting go

2011-04-11T10:00:00.009-05:00

As I finish my dissertation I noticed my need to hold onto ideas and words. I take notes like a mad woman, I save documents in my computer of a couple thoughts I may have had. I won't delete anything, just cut and paste "stuff" into another document that I will probably never open again (because it is crap)--but nonetheless it will be saved, because you never know one day it's crap and the next day it's genius, right?

I noticed this habit also presents itself in my daily life. I buy more boards and concrete and add another shelf to my bookshelf before I would consider getting rid of some books. I save every plastic container that cannot be recycled in hopes of finding a use for it someday. I won't get rid of that one dress just in case I happen to need it for an occassion--or my body frame happens to suddenly turn Barbie. I will save an uninspiring piece of jewelry with the intent to make it into something beautiful one day.

As a result of all of this saving and hoarding I am left with an apartment that is quite cluttered and a feeling of stuckness and "unfinished business". This observation brings me to the point, when we surround ourselves with all of these things and ideas that do not quite fit we inhibit ourselves from thinking in new ways, being creative and simply noticing.

In our culture, we are so attached and unable to let go that we do not have a hand truly available to even begin to grasp what might be very important to us. Do you truly love every book on your bookshelf? What is more important a large library with books that you don't care about or a small library filled with all of your favorites? Why do you feel it's necessary to hold on? Maybe it's not books for you, what is it that you grasp? What are you too attached to? This is a question I am asking myself.

Without this discernment process there is literally no room for us to recognize our dreams or our best interests, because we are holding onto countless things, relationships, ideas that keep us occupied and controlled. At least, this is my current reality, as I approach graduation and try to decide where I will spend the majority of my efforts in the next few years. I have never been a fan of choosing, but now more than ever I am recognizing its importance.

Today Shaun McNiff reminded me that deleting and getting rid of things or eliminating is a good way to make room for reflection on the things that matter to us most. He says it much better than I can so I will close by sharing an excerpt from his book, Trust the process: An artist's guide to letting go, one of those works that would definitely be on my small bookshelf of favorites.

While he writes strictly in relation to artistic endeavors, art is the form of life so to me his words also provide good life reflection that help us think about our lives and what is essential to our well-being.

Here goes:

"Elimination is essential to concentration. When you can't find a way through a situation, it might be better to reflect on what is already presenting itself. As you choose what to omit, you indirectly select what to keep.

There can be a tremendous pleasure attached to deleting and throwing out materials that obstruct the flow of what you are trying to express. We tend to hang onto bothersome things, trying to make them fit into our lives like parts of a painting or a story that just don't belong. Keeping these things obscures the essential message we are trying to convey. Moving along can be as simple as designating the unworkable sections and hitting the delete button on your keyboard...

Getting to the core involves a realization that we are in a process that is much bigger than ourselves and that all we can do is make contributions and connections between things, one day at a time, one instant to the next. Trying too hard to find the essence tends to keep us on the periphery. The most vital expressions emerge when we are most relaxed, when we simply immerse ourselves in the immediate environment and trust that something significant will appear...

I approach the making of deletions with the realization that they are a necessity. I cannot get to the core unless I eliminate the clutter and distractions that obstruct concentration on the essential message. There are phases in the making of a painting or the writing of a book that resemble clearing out the barn, the attic, or a cluttered closet in order to gain a renewed sense of spaciousness, and a better use of the environment...

The forward moving process of expression requires deletion...

In the artistic process and in daily life, it is always challenging to eliminate and let go. Today's foreground becomes tomorrow's background...

Whenever we abstract an essence from a life situation or perception we simplify, select, and delete...

Look at your surrounding environment with the goal of abstracting essential elements" (McNiff, 1998, p. 104-107).

* Where can you learn to let go in your life?
* What is holding you back that you can simply delete in order to move forward?
* Can you let go, but then buy something new to replace it right away? Some of us get rid of stuff too much because we have too much. If this might be you, you might want to check out The Story of Stuff, and challenge yourself to ask what you really need and take a personal inventory of your stuff to see what you already have.

Recent fave recipe: "Soba Noodles Verde"

2011-04-06T21:42:00.009-05:00

I think it's safe to say that Spring is here. I have packed up my boots and am digging around for a lighter jacket. Phew. It's about time, although I'm not holding my breath.

In the meantime, while I have had a minute to spare I have also been enjoying "Springy dishes" at meal time. Unfortunately tonight was not one of those nights--just eating a piece of toast right now (yikes), but that is not the point. The point is there is this dish that is pretty dece that I wanted to share with you.

The main reason why this meal is "springy" is because of it's green colors (unfortunately not because of the veggies--they don't come into season in MN until May/June). Anyway, it's green and therefore springy, hence it's name Soba Noodles VERDE. Which reminds me, for you Spanish speakers out there, I'm sorry it is incorrect Spanglish, that's what the woman who gave me the recipe called it and I kinda like the ring of it. So lo siento, call it what you like and I hope you like it anyway :)

Two key things to know before you start:

1) Do not overcook the Soba Noodles--if you have ever worked with buckwheat noodles before you will know they aren't tasty if they are overcooked (I think anyway), so be sure to keep your eye on them and taste test them--al dente is best. For me they usually get done around 4 minutes but I also boil with the cover on, so just use your best judgment, its better undercooked than overcooked in my opinion.

2) This meal is very quick to prepare except for the dressing which is made of freshly chopped herbs, which can go quickly if you skip the thyme (because you have to get all those little leaves off the stem), but I personally like the flavor of fresh thyme in it so I add about an extra 20-30 minutes just to get a lot of thyme in the mix--it's therapeutic. If you think that sounds crazy just substitute the fresh thyme for dried thyme and you'll speed right through the prep.

Okay, the rest is easy.

Soba Noodles Verde

Dressing: 1/2 cup olive oil (marinade/dressing), 1 lemon juiced and zested, 3 garlic cloves, 1 cup of fresh, chopped herbs--I use basil, thyme, chives and parsley and put in maybe closer to 1.5 cups of herbs but you can be creative here, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix 'em up, set aside.

Chop into bite size, 1 cup each of: broccoli, zucchini (trust me it's good), and snap peas/snowpeas. Heat medium skillet of olive oil and saute the zucchini for 2 minutes, add the broccoli and then snap peas/snowpeas. Don't overcook, they should be a little crunchy. Set aside.

Boil water and add one package of soba noodles (12 oz) and follow directions on the package but remember not to overcook.

When noodles are done boiling place in colander and run cold water over them to ensure they stop cooking quickly.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the noodles, veggies and dressing. Add 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

Sorry I do not have a picture to share...next time I make it I will take one.

Happy cooking and eating!

Inspiring People: Greta McLain

2011-04-01T09:21:00.008-05:00

Today I woke up and saw this super fresh wedding announcement and it was so cool that I had to come here and post about it. It is two-sided, I have shared the front side.

My friend and sweet local artist, Greta is getting married on the same day as me.

FACT: If I was not me but a guest invited to both of our weddings, without a doubt, I would attend Greta's celebration in a HEARTBEAT.

Why? Well, for one because her invites are way cooler, and well, I know the diva, and it is going to be a grand party--truly a wedding of champions.

They are doing a processional style wedding that will take place over a weekend in Mpls. that can be reached by bike or the metro (truly green/sustainable) and they have invited everyone they know and are doing it potluck-style! Talk about a true and wonderful celebration of love and marriage while being surrounded by their whole community.

After reflecting on our wedding choices I have one regret--that we chose a venue that could not contain our entire community. How cool would it be to have all of the people in your life (who want to be there) show up at your ceremony for a big party? In our case we have many friends who we were not able to invite to our wedding because the space was limited--sad deal, but we can only hope they understand.

Obviously money was a factor for us too, but people like Greta remind me that if there is a will, there is a way. We often stop ourselves and let things like money or whatever our excuse is--hold us back from having what we want but a little creative thinking can go a long way.

If I had to do it all over again we would have done something similar to Greta's wedding of champions. We would have gone with our original plan to have a small wedding (10 people) and then follow it up with a big bash in the park--where everyone could be invited and roam in the woods, play volleyball and swim.

But I did not come on here to talk lost pipedreams and moan about our wedding (I already do plenty of that), I came on here to thank inspiring people like Greta for doing it big with the resources they have. Now that's what I call sustainability.

Which leads me to my last point before I get going here--art/creativity + sustainablity = casamiento perfecto. I think why I am drawn to the sustainability movement is definitely connected to environmental concerns but I am also attracted to it because it causes us to change the way we typically think about the world and become creative. The more humans tap into their own creativity the more diverse and rich the world becomes and the more sustainable it is for everyone.

In this case, I feel like Greta, a local, community artist who just naturally created a green wedding truly embodies the unspoken union between creativity and sustainability. Awesome and inspiring, that's all I have to say.

Cheaters Never Prosper. So true.

2011-03-30T07:39:00.007-05:00

Recently an article was put out by MSN called "I went undercover on America's cheating website." I ran into it on a friend's webpage this morning.

The article notes that sex only scratches the surface of the reasons why 5,440,000 U.S. men cheat openly on ashleymadison.com. Are we surprised?

From the writer's experience with various members from the site, she found some interesting but not alarming reasons why these men were cheating. Her subtitles linked us to these themes:
* Am I missing out?
* I could never have this conversation with her
* Talking about the glory days
* On to the next

Am I missing out?

Because we live in the era of information overload, countless choices, numerous career changes, instant messaging and instant gratification, can we be surprised that people feel like they are missing out? Not only does having too many options exhaust us, but it also makes people question whether or not they made the right choice.

An article published in the LA times in 2009 mentions that having too many choices does not necessarily mean a happier consumer.

I think that this observation can be keenly noted in the area of relationships. Are the people who frequent such websites happier than the average citizen? Have they accepted that enough is enough? Do we need to have our cake and our neighbor's cake and eat it all too? This seems to be modern culture's way of thought. In the end, the person with all the cake is feeling fat and wondering why they ate all the cake.

We should be asking why are we so hungry? Do we feel unloved? What is it that is really bothering us? After examining that question maybe we can begin to look ourselves in the eye and get to the heart of the matter, and maybe we can begin to address why the relationship we are in isn't working for us. Maybe.

I could never have this conversation with her

I am not going to write a novel about each topic, that would bore you. I will say two things here:

1) If you are going to get married, make sure you can converse with the person you are marrying. Pretty simple rule to follow.

2) If you are having issues with communication or lost it somewhere down the road, seek counseling first. Perhaps the person isn't right for you and you can cross that bridge when it comes up, but at least have the courage to address the issue. Going behind somebody's back and talking to someone else about how you cannot communicate with another person does not improve anything. It only hurts both parties.

Talking about the glory days

Two things again:

1) Yes it's fun to relive the excitement and yes it is true that some of that first excitement will change over time and never be the same. But don't stop trying to be excited. Do new things in your relationship or as the article put it, "keep it fresh."

2) This section of the article reminded me about a blog I posted in 2008 about relationships and community. It has a cute little excerpt from Vonnegut's God bless you, Dr. Kervorkian that talks about how people are really missing community or true friends in their lives, not necessarily a better partner. People just want people to talk to and to tell their story to again and again (you'll see this a lot with old people).

On to the next

This part connects to having too many choices but also reminds me again of mainstream culture's infatuation with disposability and waste. We consider it luxury at the peril of ourselves and others, mainly people we exploit from third world countries and the world itself--Mother Earth.

In the case of the article people are doing it to their own family members. Do they think that these actions do not hurt their children--the future generation? How incredibly sad, but transparent, these "cheaters" are simply lost human beings seeking love. It could be argued that they are just products or reflections of our societal values right now.

With that said, let us truly wake up and really think about this article today. Think about our own loneliness. When you are feeling lonely how do you deal with it? Maybe you do not cheat but do you maybe go and buy things you do not need or indulge in foods that make you ill? Just think about it for a moment.

Also, let us ask ourselves, do we treat other people and ourselves with integrity and with value anymore? What are our values? What is really missing in our lives that drive us to such measures? Do we treat nature and our neighboring countries and those afar with the respect and love that they deserve? Why or why not?

Read the full MSN article here.

Honor Life

2011-03-29T11:35:00.006-05:00

"Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life."
-BERTOLT BRECHT

Last night I was reminded again of how precious life really is and how lucky I am to be alive. It is easy to complain and feel like your life is in shambles, it is much harder for people to really honor their life and their journey and be grateful for the privileges they have been given.

It is also easy for people to wallow in their despair and not move forward with their lives. Rather than taking risks and challenging oneself, people often get stuck in a rut. This stuckness is not really living.

With the poor economy and me wrapping up a Master's degree while searching for a new direction, it is easy to feel stuck and hopeless. I admit I fall victim at times to thinking that I maybe made the wrong decision.

However last night I was brutally reminded how important it is to follow your dreams, even if people try to convince you otherwise.

Jay received a phone call that shook our world. His cousin was on his honeymoon with his new wife and they got in a horrible boating accident. His wife's life was taken.

My thoughts are with their family. From the sounds of it, she was an amazing person who lived her life to the fullest. While it is extremely regrettable and awful that her life was lost at such a young age I feel glad to know that she was a person who honored life and followed her dreams.

I can only hope to emulate her spirit in my daily living.

I'd like to share a quote that she lived by that I feel sums up a lot about the meaning of life.

"Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave."

May we all learn how to support the world by fully honoring our lives and the lives of others.

My thoughts on Go Green Machine

2011-03-28T15:41:00.006-05:00

Just a quick note--if you haven't already checked out my green-focused blog and are interested in that kind of stuff, please do so. It is called Go Green Machine.

This year I'm going to try to be better about posting. There were only 8 blog posts last year and 7 the year before so I feel like it will be a doable goal to write more often.

I also am committing myself to write more often because sustainability is very important to me. I have considered merging these environmental posts into my personal blog, because honoring the Earth is truly a personal matter to me, but for search purposes I will continue to keep these two blogs separate and readers can choose to visit both or one or none of my sites as they see fit.

If I am moved I will continue to provide links to the green blog posts on this site to alert you to new and interesting information.

Today I wrote about plastic recycling opportunities in Minnesota. If you care about recycling and are a dweller of the Twin cities, I highly recommend you check out the information:
here.

Monday Mantra and brief update

2011-03-28T11:56:00.004-05:00

"In order to do something well, we must first be willing to do it badly." - Julia Cameron

Five updates related to this quote:
1) I'm learning to let go of perfectionism and see what happens.
2) I'm beading jewelry and dreaming of beads again (just had one last night).
3) I'm wholeheartedly seeking a place/opportunity to learn how to garden and give
back to the Earth.
4) I'm starting a business.
5) I'm learning to water the good seeds in my consciousness like love, peace and
compassion instead of those seeds that hoard and attract fear, anger and hatred
(Thank you Thich Nhat Hanh for this lovely analogy).

Following your heart is not easy to do. Neither is taking risks, but the best realization I had this morning was that in order to be good at something, you must be willing to "fail" as well. You cannot be perfect.

Some of the most exciting revelations in our lives come from "failures" or accidents. I do not view these happenings to be failures or accidents but what and how life is meant to be.

What I'm listening to lately...

2011-03-21T09:29:00.001-05:00

This is a favorite song from one of my favorite duos, Amadou and Mariam:

A gift idea to quench your thirst: Fruit Infusion Pitcher

2011-03-10T11:09:00.010-06:00

For my birthday I was lucky enough to spend time with some of my friends in a last-minute sort of get together. As much as I say I do not enjoy celebrating my birthday, I am always filled with joy at seeing the smiling faces of my friends, being surrounded by their presence and hearing birthday shout-outs from near and far.
So, thank you to all of my friends. I love you so much.

Aside from that little holla, I came on to share a favorite new addition to our home: the amazing fruit infusion pitcher. I know, pretty simple, but SWEET!

Although Jay and I are really trying to take a look at what we have and actually purge--rather than acquire new, we still registered for some items at a store in Stillwater called The Chef's Gallery. This above pitcher was one of the items we put on our list and my sister bought it for me for my birthday. Thanks Lyndi!

Regardless I wanted to share this note, not because I advocate consuming more things, but because I really find this item to be useful, practical and good for your health. The clean and artful display of the fruit or whatever you put in there really gets you to enjoy drinking water and it makes you drink more water--that is certainly true. I know I am constantly in the bathroom now because I have had more than enough :)

On that note, be sure to enjoy this product in moderation, folks! There is such a thing as drinking too much water.

Thursday thought: Discover yourself

2011-03-10T07:22:00.007-06:00

"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, more money, in order to do more of what they want so that they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want."

-MARGARET YOUNG

A message from the Crazy Wombat

2011-03-09T08:32:00.003-06:00

So get it in gear. All is one, folks!

Do or do not. There is no try.

2011-03-07T10:15:00.008-06:00

Hello online friends,

Truth be told, I have been incredibly swept up in life lately. For the past month I have been in the middle of my dissertation trying to answer the question, "Who is my community?" which then lead naturally to the question "Who am I?"

Why do I always ask such charged questions? I'm not sure, but I think it is because we all tend to ask questions that we really want to know the answer to--so this past month I have really been exploring just that...who...am...I?

What is to be said of that experience will be put together in words and in art form in the next few weeks, hopefully days if I can really push myself to DO it.

While I recognize that I am constantly changing and that it will only be a snapshot of myself right at this very moment, it has still been quite the task to attempt to answer such a question for me. It has been incredibly challenging and for the time being, my answer to the question, "who am I?" is "Procrastinator."

"Who do I want to be?" is another question that has come into play in this discourse...while I am trying to define my community and myself there is a lot of thought surrounding the future and who I am to become. Which leads me to who I presently want to be in this moment today: Yoda. If I was more like Yoda I would not be on here typing about my anxiety for writing and creating but would be persevering!

"Do or do not. There is no try." Good advice for me this week, and maybe for you readers out there?

Mixed bean goulash recipe

2011-02-21T16:07:00.007-06:00

This recipe has been adapted from the book, The Vegetarian Gourmet's Easy International Recipes by Bobbie Hinman. It's the first recipe I have tried from the book. I have been trying to cook without recipes lately but must say I am glad I checked this one out. It has provided great nourishment and comfort in the cold weather and it keeps well.

Lately I have been challenging my friends and family to eat meatless on Mondays. To provide some support and motivation I am sharing a vegetarian recipe. It can be vegan if you leave out the yogurt garnish, which is totally doable.

This recipe is based on a Hungarian stew and is thick, rich, and delish! For best flavor try to buy your ingredients locally and organically when you can.

Makes 8 servings (or lots if you eat little portions)

2 TBSP olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, thinly sliced (or 2 cups of onion)
1 large green pepper, thinly sliced (or 1 cup)
2 cups of organic vegetable broth
1-7 oz. can of tomato paste--organic if possible
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of white beans (cannellini)
1 can of pinto beans
2 medium potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (or 1 pound)
2.5 TBSP paprika (or more if you like)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sea salt and cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
cayenne pepper (to taste, for those who want more spice--I probably put in at least 1/2 tsp.)
1 cup of whole fat greek yogurt
noodles or rice depending on your mood :)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic for one minute, then add onions and bell pepper. Stir frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add small amounts of water to mixture if necessary to prevent from sticking. Then add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT the yogurt!)

Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil and leave on medium heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir several times while cooking.

Serve over brown rice or noodles (egg noodles are good) and top each serving with 2 TBSP of yogurt or in any amount desired, I usually just put a good spoonful on top of the goulash. You can also just add grated parmesan cheese over the top if you are looking for that extra flavor.

Each serving provides approximately 235 calories, 13 g of protein, 2 g of fat, 0 sat. fat, 43 g carbohydrates, 521 mg sodium and 1 mg of cholesterol.