Do you ever find yourself asking who in their right mind would pass a law like that? Whether it has to do with local issues or national ones. As soon as I form the question in my mind, my mind answers…..don’t verbalize that one…..everyone knows which special interest influenced that one. Almost everyone knows.
Have you noticed that when you become aware of some new “fact” or some new “situation”, those who were familiar with it view you as naive, even uneducated. While those totally unaware of this new tidbit view you as weird….it hasn’t been on main stream media….it couldn’t have any credibility.
Do we even remember how to ask the questions: who, what, when, where, why and how? Or…..Is it that we really don’t want to know that much anymore?
I wish questioning were a super-virus that would spread across the world so that everyone would question everything!
I was thinking this morning how grateful I am for the people in my life that helped me see what I want. That sounds pitiful I know. Who doesn’t know what they want?
I was guided through a thought process that helped me look at what I’ve enjoyed doing all of my life and which talents I have. That doesn’t sound so life changing, does it? But, I was in such a dark place. I kept thinking the same negative thoughts, over and over, and couldn’t find my way out. So for me, it was life changing …..even life saving.
In an effort to get me to focus on something positive, I was given a challenge: to start painting again and to start blogging. I was resistant at first. I hadn’t done any painting for years. I was totally computer illiterate. But over a period of 12 days I was helped to let go of some guilt and encouraged (at first gently and then gradually pretty forcefully) to get out the paints and get the help I needed to overcome the computer problem.
As I began to share my experience with the people in my life, family, neighbors, gym friends, the dry cleaner lady, I was hit with an unexpected response. Many of them looked fine to me, some even happy. But the more we talked, the more they shared, they didn’t know what they wanted. They were busy having kids, raising kids, and working to pay bills and earn a living. They were looking forward to movies and eating out on the weekends and a vacation sometime this year. But, what did they want? I had discovered a cavernous mystery.
Once again I came up against it: we appear on the outside to be very different: but, on the inside we are very much alike.
Mark Twain said: “I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can’t find anybody who can tell me what they want.” I didn’t actually hear him say this, but it is attributed to him on the internet…..so it must be true??? My own small survey does bear out the second part.
Do you ever tell yourself to forget what your parents, your friends, or your spouse wants from you or for you. Forget what you think is expected of you. What do you want? It’s time to take a good look at your life and think about what you want…..what makes you happy. What makes you smile and your whole being light up when you think about it?
My husband put a Luminosity app on my ipad. He showed me how to start playing the games. He explained why he felt it would be fun and help me with my memory…..because it brain trains. It is fun. Wanna give it a try. Go to luminosity.com. It’s free. These games were designed by neuroscientists to help us improve memory and brain function in general.
I did a little reading and googling and discovered another great site: www. themindunleashed.org. They’ve posted an article: Train Your Brain To Let Go Of Habits. 10 Methods For Creating New Neural Pathways. Hummm.
I’m intrigued by the simulations below. They illustrate (left) the neural network of a brain cell and (right) the distribution of dark matter in the universe. (Millennium Simulation) “The pictures show a structural similarity in terms of connections and distribution of matter in the brain and in the universe.” And…..just thinking of an expanding universe gives me hope for an expanding brain.
Well…..it’s February. It’s freezing outside. I’m feeling sedentary and in need of letting go of a few habits. This article really resonated with me. The message was to use your imagination. Imagine how you want to be and hold that picture in your mind all day, every day. You will begin to form new habits that are in line with that picture in your mind. One step at a time, those old habits will give way to the new ones. The trick is to hold onto that picture.
So the message I received and the message I share with you is: Use your imagination, focus your mind and retrain your brain! I’m giving it a go. What about you?
I often wonder what would the freeway look like if all of the cars carrying divorcing people were red, all those just suffering the death of a loved one drove green cars, everyone on drugs drove black cars and murderers’ cars were turquoise. Then we would know what we’re dealing with.
Red Car
Green Car
What if as you drove down a street the roofs of the houses would turn colors and let you know which of them housed lonely elderly people, struggling single parents, abused children or spouses, criminals, newlyweds, celebrations and orgys. What if apartment doors turned colors to alert you to medical emergencies or…..well you get my drift…..and I am drifting.
Did you see the movie “Eat, Pray, Love”? Julia Robert’s character was feeling guilt and remorse over a failed marriage and was told by Richard Jenkins’ character whenever she thought of her ex to send him light and love. My interpretation was that this would help her let go of something out of her control, give him comfort and healing and allow herself to heal and feel loved.
I believe that sending light and love to others…..to plants, to animals, to people, raises their vibrations and also heals and enriches us. So I’m suggesting that we all send love to the red cars, the green cars, everyone and everything around us. Let’s see if we can change the world by sending light and love out and then watch in wonder as it comes back to us. It would be so nice if all of the cars we pass had a back seat full of balloons.
Have you noticed that when you become aware of an idea that hits a nerve at a particular moment, you find that idea popping into your thoughts often? And….. it seems the universe draws information to you that expands on it? It’s like driving down the freeway and every other billboard has the same message for you, some right in your face and some very subtle so that it takes some time before you realize what you’ve just taken in.
I’ve been thinking so much lately about being vulnerable.
I was flipping through Instyle Magazine and saw a quote attributed to Jessica Chastain that caused me to stop and think. She said, “You have to live with an open heart all the time–that’s how you’re going to have connections with people.”
Is that even possible? To live with an open heart all the time.
I think of “being open” as being open to new ideas, new perspectives. That seems like a brain function…..not a heart function. Although there is a brain-heart connection. The brain cannot live without the blood the heart sends to it. I’m no scientist; but, it seems to me that our thoughts, our emotions and our imaginations are all intertwined.
Britta Wetteskind shared this on facebook. I love it. Try this heart opening exercise: “Imagine that there is a light in your upper chest near your heart, growing brighter and brighter, radiating. Breathe slowly and deeply, filling your lungs with air. Now let the light have a nice steady glow, like the glow you see from a candle, only much larger. Let it become more radiant and begin to surround your whole body. That’s it, the sensation you’re getting in your chest is all right, that is your heart opening. Now imagine sending a beam from this glowing area to someone or something you want to share love with. There you go, that’s love.”
These thoughts may seem a bit disconnected to you; but, the message I received and the message I share with you is that being vulnerable…..or…..living with an open heart, will allow our thoughts, emotions and imagination to enable us to experience happiness. Think about it.
Several days before Thanksgiving, I bought some beautiful yellow roses to use as centerpieces on the table. It took a couple of days for them to unfold. Slowly they made their way from compact buds to full flower. I kept taking pictures of them, moving them around in the sunlight. With each move, the light bounced around and kissed the petals in a new way and cast intriguing shadows. Wow! They were inspiring!
Since I’ve started blogging, I’m taking a lot more pictures…..of everything. It’s as if I’ve got to somehow document everything I’m doing. At first, when I noticed this, I thought it would wear off or at least slow down. But not so far. In this case, I’m glad I did. It’s fun, for me, to see how The Yellow Rose progressed.
This is the finished The Yellow Rose. January 22, 2015. Watercolor 22″x30″
I often wonder just what it is about a subject that inspires the artist, the writer, the sculptor, or the inventor. I’ve had friends tell me that an idea “struck” suddenly…..out of the blue so to speak. We use so many phrases like let’s brain storm to come up with an idea. You know, blue meaning sky, ether; storm…..weather, electricity, lightning, thoughts. Then there’s the whole light thing. It’s light and lack of light that defines shapes and how we see them.
Actually, what we need to fully investigate these deep thoughts and musings is a glass of wine and a few philosophical friends. Probably a Pinot Noir.
I’ve talked about how much I love chickens, eggs and flowers. Then there are the roosters. What is more majestic? They strut. They crow. They’re flashy. How can they be otherwise. They’re feathers have an iridescent quality and they’re so dramatic. This quilt is named “Brainiac: He’s So Bright!”
This one is “Himself” He is so self important. Not just because he’s won awards but because he rules the roost. Everyone knows it. Well, everyone who’s lived with a rooster.
In the summer, chickens are at their best when they get to wander around in the yard. They peck around among the flowers and sometimes lay eggs there too! Their clucks are very appealing. The way they shake and ruffle up their feathers is so much fun. I even love the way they separate into their own paths and then suddenly converge on each other and fuss…..like kids in the school yard.
Chicken with egg bouquet
Lilly and egg bouquet
I love themes with chickens, roosters, eggs and flowers. I can’t resist popping them into a quilt or painting. The chicken gathering her own bouquet (above) is in the center of this quilt and the four corners have these little egg-lilly vignettes.
Purple Daisy Bouquet
Gathering Bluebells
These two (above) are also gathering flowers. They have totally different taste though, as you can see. There is a magnetic quality, in my opinion, in flowers and eggs. They’re both fragile but contain inestimable power. They’re both mystical. They both feed the soul.
Have you been thinking about blogging? Do you have ideas you’d like to share?
Do you have talents you’d like to develop by joining a community of like-minded people. Blogging is a great way to express your ideas and talents. And…..it’s a great way to get feed back from others.
If you said yes, then get going. What are you waiting for? If you’re tech savvy, jump in. If, like me, you have no idea how to start, then google “how to start a blog”. I was guided to godaddy.com for my domain name and from there to wordpress.com for my blog site. They both charge a small fee. They’re both easy to use and enormously helpful.
The domain name, the name of my site, was a hurtle for me. But, gradually, I realized that I’m so often in the fry zone (trying to learn something new and it fries my brain), or the worry zone, or the creative zone (where I get lost in some right brain pursuit), or sometimes just “zoned out”. So here I am in my own little zone: Sherrie Zone. Give a lot of thought to your blog name.
You may have an idea of what you’d like to write about but think no one would be interested. Holy Cow, there are about 7,000,000,000,000 people on this planet and over 2,000,000,000,000 use the internet. (That’s billions…..did you register that?). The people interested in what you have to say will probably number in the millions.
My advice is talk like you’re telling your best friend what you have to say. Don’t worry about grammar. I mean try your best, but don’t sweat over grammar, just do your best to communicate. And….use your own vocabulary…..don’t try to sound like someone smarter than you are…..be authentic! (That’s a phrase we’re hearing everywhere these days).
Give enough explanation so that you’re sure you’ve made your point. Give enough description so that your reader gets a mental picture.
There are people in big cities, small rural towns and on isolated islands that are having similar challenges, similar feelings and some may even offer you information you need to have greater insight into your own life and business. I am constantly amazed at the people who are willing to help.
I recently became aware of a great blog: itsbecauseithinktoomuch.com. I like it so much because it’s obvious Adiel is sharing her passion with us. And…..it’s obvious she’s having fun doing it! She has a feature: Shop My Closet. It’s so much fun to check out all of her fashion picks. She works for Poshmark. Check them out too! That’s Adiel 2nd from the right.
Another blog I enjoy is michelleatplay.com. Michelle shares thoughts that have me regularly saying “AMEN”. She shares her life…..warts and all. She doesn’t shy away from the ugly or the problematic. And, she shares insights and coping mechanisms that can benefit all of us. I check in with her every day. On Sundays, she serves up Michelle Church. It’s worth attending.
When I was encouraged to blog, I was told just start with a thought for the day….everyday. I’ve discovered that is such good advice because just starting is the key. Once you start and begin to get comfortable with the mechanics, the experiences and ideas you’ll have just keep coming and you’ll get more and more excited to share them. Come on, join the blogosphere!
My Go-To Motto: Practice Makes Automatic! This is one of those recipes with few ingredients and simple cooking steps. If you like your curry hot, sprinkle some pepper flakes in during the simmer stage. I usually keep mine mild to please those in my family not into hot and spicy. But things have been changing and the vote tonight was throw in more pepper flakes.
Go-To Chicken Curry
6 chicken breasts/thighs
salt, pepper, 2 T. curry powder
2 T. each butter and olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped almonds
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
chopped parsley
Cut chicken into 1/2″ strips and liberally season them with the salt, pepper and curry powder. In a heavy skillet, heat oil and butter until hot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken strips and onions and saute both until lightly browned. Add the broth and almonds, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
Mix the cornstarch and cream, pour over the chicken, stirring until it comes to a boil and thickens. Take off the heat and serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
Curry, rice and condiments
Chicken Curry
It’s great with rice and lots of condiments: chutney (my favorite is Major Grey’s), shredded coconut, banana slices, peanuts, slivered almonds, finely chopped green and red peppers, raisins, etc.
If you like to play with your rice, try heating a 2 T. coconut oil in your sauce pan on medium heat, then add 2 cups of rice, stir it around til hot, 3 to 4 minutes, and each grain is covered in oil, add 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 cup of coconut milk, bring to a boil and cover…..not tightly, slightly askew. Turn heat to low and let simmer 15 to 18 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Fluff with a fork. I like crunch in my rice, so I toss in a handful of chopped almonds.
Now…..if you enjoy something different and absolutely scrumptious, I suggest you try that same rice recipe with Chef Hai Fitzgerald’s Purple Rice Blend. His menu is written on a chalk board…..a big chalk board. It’s what’s fresh that day. His Salmon, Prime Rib, Steaks and Stir Frys are to die for (I left so much out).
He often looks you over, sizes you up and suggests to you what you would like. Do you want it with the creamiest polenta, the fabulous garlic mashed potatoes or fresh vegetables steamed right in front of you…..that is the question. In fact, if you are lucky enough to get there when there are empty seats at the counter (I think there are only seven), you can watch him and his sous chefs prepare your food right in front of you.
His restaurant is the Thymes and Seasons Market Place and Restaurant in Bountiful, Utah. His phone is (801) 386-0245. Have him ship you a bag.
