Be a Tigger . . . Tiggers Bounce July 7, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Balance, People, Spirit & Ego.comments closed
Rik Scott posted some worthy words of wisdom this morning:
How To Write When You Have Nothing to Say.
As is par for the course, his words, and the comments which followed, got me thinking ~ in this case, about the impact others have on our glorious Egos and fragile psyches:
Many people have only one way to prop themselves up in life . . . by discouraging others from starting the climb.
The trouble is not what they say to us . . . it’s how we choose to interpret their words, and internalize them.
We allow ourselves to become discouraged so easily. At times, a hurtful word or glance is all that it takes to derail our fragile Egos.
Spirit, of course, waits patiently in the wings . . . ready to help us glide up, over, or around the obstacles in our path.
When we grow discouraged from using an external reference point (rather than Our Internal Compass), we need to give ourselves a warm hug and get back to making our own kind of music:
When we look to others for guidance (for what to be, do, say, or think), we’re relying on a constantly shifting external reference point. When we attempt to predict and accommodate the vastly divergent opinions of those we meet (rather than being, saying, or doing what we feel), we’re engaged in a energy-draining guessing game.
Constantly looking outside ourselves for guidance is akin to navigating through the woods . . . across shifting terrain . . . in the middle of an earthquake . . . by looking at a compass gone haywire.
How utterly exhausting and unnecessary.
Look deep, the answers lie within.
Quote: You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. ~ Martha Graham
Related posts: Accept Your Irrelevance * Live Your Life * Simplify Your Life * A Minuet in Time * The Last Lecture
Rhoderic Land: King Kong Tonight July 7, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Music & Dance, Nature, Writing & Writers.comments closed
Cindy Taylor introduced readers to Rhoderic Land and his marvelous song, King King Tonight by saying:
I seldom do this, but I am so enamoured of this song that I want to share it. I’m not sure exactly what speaks to me so loudly; the nostalgic feel of the video, the camp and elegant rendition of the song, or the frightfully witty lyrics. Suffice to say I confess to having a bit of a crush.
Intrigued, I pushed “play” and developed a crush of my own!
Not only did it make me smile, I heard it dancing in my head all day . . .
You can find Rhoderic on Facebook: Rhoderic Land
Art is Not Transparent July 7, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Poetry, Writing & Writers.comments closed
Art is not transparent
Art is not one-size-fits-all
Art is open to interpretation
Art does not dictate or browbeat
Art does not spoonfeed
Art embraces us as we are
Art is not static and unchanging
Art is not an “open and shut case”
Art is fluid and emotive
Art is not limited
Art is not bounded
Art is as infinite and indefinable as we are
Artwork by Carole A. V. Dougherty ~ available at Island Gallery West
* * * * *
This poem sprung into being this morning as I lay in bed contemplating something I’d read the other day about Art.
After jotting it down, three quotes filtered through my still sleepy countenance to join the parade:
When you reread a classic you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than was there before. ~ Clifton Fadiman
We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are. ~ Anais Nin
A book is a mirror; if an ass peers into it, you can’t expect an apostle to peer out. ~ Georg Christoph Lictenberg
Harvest Soup July 7, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Vegetarian Recipes.comments closed
We make vegetable soups throughout the chilly winter months . . .
I’m posting this recipe in the middle of the North American summer to warm up my friends down under . . . who live not just below the Mason-Dixon line, but below the Equatorial line.
Enjoy!
HARVEST SOUP
1 onion, chopped
1 red or green pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
3-4 potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (optional)
3-4 vegetarian bouillon cubes
1 c. rice or barley, uncooked (or 2 c. uncooked pasta)
1 can of kidney, black or red beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch of broccoli, cubed (or 10 oz. frozen corn) (or both!)
1-2 zucchini or summer squash
1/4 head cabbage, chopped (or 10 oz. pkg frozen spinach) (or both!)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (or substitution, below)
Put 8 cups of water into a large soup pot, with bouillon cubes. Add chopped onion, pepper, carrot, celery, and potato. Bring to simmer.
Add rice, barley or pasta, and return to simmer until grains are cooked to desired consistency.
Add beans, remaining vegetables, and spaghetti sauce. Allow to simmer an additional 10 minutes, tasting to see if additional seasoning is desired.
This soup, like many soups, is extremely versatile. If you have left over rice, pasta or barley, substitute it for the uncooked grain during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
If you have leftover vegetables, toss that into the mix during the last 10 minutes as well.
If you don’t have spaghetti sauce, add a can of tomato soup, tomato puree, or crushed tomatoes instead. If the soup gets too thick, add water. If you don’t like tomatoes, leave them out. If you don’t have bouillon cubes, substitue a pkg. of Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Play around with it, being guided by your own preferences.
This soup is wonderful on a cold rainy day. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to feed a crowd. If you don’t eat it all, freeze it in 2-3 cup servings for a quick supper later in the week. Great served with garlic bread, corn bread, or French bread, warm from the oven.
Spirit Lights The Way 