I was just reading the news that critics fear the new Supreme Court nominee will make opinions "based on her own life experience, ethnicity and gender rather than on the law."
Snort.
THEY ALL [Supreme Court Justices] make opinions based largely on their own life experience, ethnicity and gender. But nobody notices because most of the justices are of a majority ethnicity. Nobody notices the screen we each look through in forming our thoughts about the world. But when we see someone of a different ethnicity and gender from our own, we assume that "they" have ethnicity and "we" don't. They are "different" and we are not. The statement from the critics is based on an assumption that their own way of seeing the world is completely impartial, entirely neutral, just because it is what they are used to, it is what they see as of the majority; the "normal" way of seeing the world.
I am here to say that, contrary to the beliefs I unconsciously formed while growing up, Caucasian is not "normal." Male [in a role of authority] is not "normal." "Conservative" is not normal. "Liberal" is not normal. Human is normal. Variegated is normal.
Unity in diversity: the watchword of the Baha'i Faith.
Off Soapbox.
Thank you.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Enlighten My Sight
The first pink streaks of dawn are in the sky. I worked last night until after one in the morning, came home and decided to just stay awake to commemorate the passing of Baha'u'llah at three in the morning at our friend Gary's house, so I've stayed up all night. In Tacoma we go by "real" time, rather than Daylight Savings Time, in our celebrations, so by Daylight Savings Time we met at 4 AM. Baha'is celebrate certain holy days at the specific hour of the specific event. Thus the commemoration of the Martyrdom of the Bab on July 9th is at noon; the commemoration of the Declaration of the Bab is 2 hours and 11 minutes after sunset on May 22; and the passing of Baha'u'llah was at 3 AM the morning of May 29, 1892.
There is an evening prayer which has the phrase, "O Lord, enlighten my sight by beholding Thy lights in this dark night . . . "
At these Holy Days which have to do with the Bab and Baha'u'llah, Baha'is often read a prayer named the "Tablet of Visitation." Two phrases reminded me strongly of the Station of the Manifestations of God that was discussed before:
"I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shown forth . . . "
And:
"I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known God, and he who hath attained unto Thy presence hath attained unto the presence of God."
~ Baha'u'llah
It truly is the dawn of a new day, and the first pink streaks are in the sky.
There is an evening prayer which has the phrase, "O Lord, enlighten my sight by beholding Thy lights in this dark night . . . "
At these Holy Days which have to do with the Bab and Baha'u'llah, Baha'is often read a prayer named the "Tablet of Visitation." Two phrases reminded me strongly of the Station of the Manifestations of God that was discussed before:
"I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shown forth . . . "
And:
"I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known God, and he who hath attained unto Thy presence hath attained unto the presence of God."
~ Baha'u'llah
It truly is the dawn of a new day, and the first pink streaks are in the sky.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Declaration of the Bab
May 21 marks for me my one-month anniversary of abstaining from eating meat or dairy products, and changing, in my fumbling and panic-stricken way, to a whole foods, plant-based diet. I celebrated doubly yesterday, as last evening on my way home from the Folklife Festival, I attended the celebration of the anniversary of the Declaration of the Bab, hosted by my friends Jay and Kristina.
We read about the historical meeting of Mulla Husayn with the Bab at the gates of the city of Shiraz, Iran, in 1844, and how the Bab invited Mulla Husayn to His house and served him tea so graciously, revealing His commentary on the Surrah of Joseph with pen and voice simultaneously. Two hours and eleven minutes after sunset, May 22, 1844, the Bab revealed His Station as a Manifestation of God, and the world was changed, revolutionized, and will never be the same. It was the birth of the Babi, and subsequently the Baha'i Faith, and the beginning of a new era.
I talked more with Jay and Kristina about the Vegan diet, and recipes, and the research by T. Colin Campbell that is the foundation for the book The China Study, and links the consumption of not only foods containing animal fat and cholesterol, but even and especially animal protein, with cancer, obesity, heart disease and strokes, and even diabetes and other autoimmune diseases. This book revolutionized my life, and has galvinized my commitment to averting and reversing these diseases if I can.
What a celebration!
We read about the historical meeting of Mulla Husayn with the Bab at the gates of the city of Shiraz, Iran, in 1844, and how the Bab invited Mulla Husayn to His house and served him tea so graciously, revealing His commentary on the Surrah of Joseph with pen and voice simultaneously. Two hours and eleven minutes after sunset, May 22, 1844, the Bab revealed His Station as a Manifestation of God, and the world was changed, revolutionized, and will never be the same. It was the birth of the Babi, and subsequently the Baha'i Faith, and the beginning of a new era.
I talked more with Jay and Kristina about the Vegan diet, and recipes, and the research by T. Colin Campbell that is the foundation for the book The China Study, and links the consumption of not only foods containing animal fat and cholesterol, but even and especially animal protein, with cancer, obesity, heart disease and strokes, and even diabetes and other autoimmune diseases. This book revolutionized my life, and has galvinized my commitment to averting and reversing these diseases if I can.
What a celebration!
The Mankind is One Seattle Folklife Festival, Part Two
Yesterday I wore the green glass rectangular pendant with the Ringstone Symbol in gold, and it attracted at least five individuals who asked about it, and I was able to teach them about the Baha'i Faith. For people who know how reticent I am about this, this is a miracle in itself. Two out of the five people I spoke with had heard of the Baha'i Faith, and one, a youth with contest entries for a cash drawing, had been to the Baha'i Gardens, i.e. the Terraces around the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel, as well as to the temple in India, lotus-shaped. I tried to describe for him the new temple being built in Chile, near Santiago, with the sail-shaped alabaster panels and the chili-pepper shape, and how it will glow with light.
My first goal was the Hatterdashery, a talented maker of hats and a permanent fixture at the Festival. I had bought a leather cap there years ago which stayed faithfully with me many years and then wandered off to seek its fortune at some point, as all my caps eventually do. I selected a cap made of soft suede, which later I returned to have resized a little smaller, telling him I had been to a psychologist.
I spoke with a very talented vender of hand-made pins etc made with enamel and then silver in the desired shape afixed to that, very beautiful. She had one camel pin, which she found. I mentioned my husband is in New York for his daughter's graduation from Columbia University graduate school. She had paid her way through Columbia University with her art. She said, "I worked like a dog."
While my hat was resized I sat above the fountain watching people play. Before it was redone, the fountain used to consist of several hundred cones, each a spigot for water erupting at random intervals, and the chief amusement was to place cups over the cones and wait for them to shoot into the air, as well as climbing on the fountain. Now the face of the fountain is a giant, smooth dome; more attractive, and safer.
After all this wandering, I came to the Northwest Court, the usual stage for Celtic music. As I approached, I thought, "That band sounds like Lindsay Street. That looks like my nephew Robin on the stage!" This is a band so good I would seek it out even if it wasn't one-quarter populated by my relative, so it was a double pleasure to listen to their music, watch my nephew on stage and feel proud, and a triple pleasure for the serendipity of it all. Then Robin mentioned to the audience that his twins were there. They are almost a year old, and I haven't been to Bellingham to meet them yet.
So here I was beaming and ogling the party in the front row, who probably thought I was a stalker; after the set I came and introduced myself as Robin's aunt. So I got to hold two babies at once for a photo, and allow Hewson to suck on my glass pendant, as it would hurt neither him nor it [Hazel was in the wagon], and see Robin again, too, and meet his wife and her sister and mother. I'm quite pleased with the babies, and they will definitely make the grade. This year I was great-aunt to three babies in all, and now I am glad to have met them all.
Yesterday was a winner, with ample Vitamin D, good music, great shopping [I found a bag from Guatemala with an earth circled with multihued children holding hands. I feel like adding, "Mankind is One" in embroidery.] And several scarves. And actually connecting with people. And it terms of general exhaustion, outstanding.
My first goal was the Hatterdashery, a talented maker of hats and a permanent fixture at the Festival. I had bought a leather cap there years ago which stayed faithfully with me many years and then wandered off to seek its fortune at some point, as all my caps eventually do. I selected a cap made of soft suede, which later I returned to have resized a little smaller, telling him I had been to a psychologist.
I spoke with a very talented vender of hand-made pins etc made with enamel and then silver in the desired shape afixed to that, very beautiful. She had one camel pin, which she found. I mentioned my husband is in New York for his daughter's graduation from Columbia University graduate school. She had paid her way through Columbia University with her art. She said, "I worked like a dog."
While my hat was resized I sat above the fountain watching people play. Before it was redone, the fountain used to consist of several hundred cones, each a spigot for water erupting at random intervals, and the chief amusement was to place cups over the cones and wait for them to shoot into the air, as well as climbing on the fountain. Now the face of the fountain is a giant, smooth dome; more attractive, and safer.
After all this wandering, I came to the Northwest Court, the usual stage for Celtic music. As I approached, I thought, "That band sounds like Lindsay Street. That looks like my nephew Robin on the stage!" This is a band so good I would seek it out even if it wasn't one-quarter populated by my relative, so it was a double pleasure to listen to their music, watch my nephew on stage and feel proud, and a triple pleasure for the serendipity of it all. Then Robin mentioned to the audience that his twins were there. They are almost a year old, and I haven't been to Bellingham to meet them yet.
So here I was beaming and ogling the party in the front row, who probably thought I was a stalker; after the set I came and introduced myself as Robin's aunt. So I got to hold two babies at once for a photo, and allow Hewson to suck on my glass pendant, as it would hurt neither him nor it [Hazel was in the wagon], and see Robin again, too, and meet his wife and her sister and mother. I'm quite pleased with the babies, and they will definitely make the grade. This year I was great-aunt to three babies in all, and now I am glad to have met them all.
Yesterday was a winner, with ample Vitamin D, good music, great shopping [I found a bag from Guatemala with an earth circled with multihued children holding hands. I feel like adding, "Mankind is One" in embroidery.] And several scarves. And actually connecting with people. And it terms of general exhaustion, outstanding.
The Mankind is One Seattle Folklife Festival, Part One
This is the best time I've had going to the Folklife Festival [Friday May 22] and I think it's the first time I've gone alone. I've been going since probably 1980 with my former husband, who followed certain inflexible rules about it. After driving to the Seattle Center area he drove around and around until he found a free parking spot within three miles, then he walked with great speed to the Festival. Once at the festival he walked with great speed through the crowds with me trailing behind touching his shirt. Rarely did he look back to see if I was there.
My rule was simple: find a place to sit and listen to music [and later, mind the baby], and eat.
We had to stay within sight of each other at all costs because it was before cell phones. And still I looked forward to it every year, and had fun.
I ended up parking up on Queen Anne Hill in front of someone's house this year, saving $12 for parking in the viscinity. I cruised slowly through the fair, taking time to have conversations with the venders, paying attention to people, watching what was going on.
My rule was simple: find a place to sit and listen to music [and later, mind the baby], and eat.
We had to stay within sight of each other at all costs because it was before cell phones. And still I looked forward to it every year, and had fun.
I ended up parking up on Queen Anne Hill in front of someone's house this year, saving $12 for parking in the viscinity. I cruised slowly through the fair, taking time to have conversations with the venders, paying attention to people, watching what was going on.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Interesting Foods
To follow up on Captain Jinks, we can just forget about the fake cheese. It melts into a substance too rubbery. We could stir in something delicious and healthy such as spinach leaves.
On the menu lately:
1] Oatmeal And Then Some
In a mortar and with a pestle, grind up either walnuts or pecans, about a cup or so, as finely as you have patience for. Put into a ceramic bowl, add about a cup of rolled oats and about 1/4 cup raisins. Pour Silk plain soymilk over to soak for ten minutes. [Load the dishwasher or something.] Microwave about one to two minutes, covered up so it doesn't explode. Yum.
I remember about four years ago my friend Bryan trying to talk me into trying soy milk. At first I was resistant: "Why on earth would I want to try something like that?" I must have tried it enough times to get used to it, because I love it, now. The thing is, it isn't dairy milk, it doesn't taste like dairy milk, and though it can perform some of the same functions, it's better not to compare it to milk. It's just its own thing, nice and fresh and nutty. And very nutritious.
2] Coleslaw. Grate up about 1/2 cup yams [I can never use anything normal, like carrots!], about a quarter of a small head of cabbage, mix in a bowl. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons vegenaise, sprinkle in some celery seed and ground coriander, and salt to taste. Yum.
3] Peanut Spread. The Peanut Part: I now use only the peanut butter made from the grinder at Fred Meyer Nutrition Center because all it has in it is peanuts, it tastes fresh, and it doesn't separate like Adams. [At least, not if you use it up on time.]
The [oh, no!] Tofu Part: Take 1/2 package of Mori Nu extra firm tofu and suspend it in cheesecloth over a bowl so some of the excess water drips out overnight. Take the drained tofu and mash up. Stir in an equal amount fresh peanut butter. Stir in finely grated 1-2 tablespoons ginger root and some basil. [I used the basil-in-a-tube from the store. For strict vegans, it does have whey in it. So you could use fresh basil.] Stir this all together and the consistency ends up like cookie dough.
Use this as a spread for a sandwich [sliced mushrooms &/or cucumbers would have been good with this] or a spread for a wrap with vegetables instead of cream cheese or whatever. Very filling. Yum.
On the menu lately:
1] Oatmeal And Then Some
In a mortar and with a pestle, grind up either walnuts or pecans, about a cup or so, as finely as you have patience for. Put into a ceramic bowl, add about a cup of rolled oats and about 1/4 cup raisins. Pour Silk plain soymilk over to soak for ten minutes. [Load the dishwasher or something.] Microwave about one to two minutes, covered up so it doesn't explode. Yum.
I remember about four years ago my friend Bryan trying to talk me into trying soy milk. At first I was resistant: "Why on earth would I want to try something like that?" I must have tried it enough times to get used to it, because I love it, now. The thing is, it isn't dairy milk, it doesn't taste like dairy milk, and though it can perform some of the same functions, it's better not to compare it to milk. It's just its own thing, nice and fresh and nutty. And very nutritious.
2] Coleslaw. Grate up about 1/2 cup yams [I can never use anything normal, like carrots!], about a quarter of a small head of cabbage, mix in a bowl. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons vegenaise, sprinkle in some celery seed and ground coriander, and salt to taste. Yum.
3] Peanut Spread. The Peanut Part: I now use only the peanut butter made from the grinder at Fred Meyer Nutrition Center because all it has in it is peanuts, it tastes fresh, and it doesn't separate like Adams. [At least, not if you use it up on time.]
The [oh, no!] Tofu Part: Take 1/2 package of Mori Nu extra firm tofu and suspend it in cheesecloth over a bowl so some of the excess water drips out overnight. Take the drained tofu and mash up. Stir in an equal amount fresh peanut butter. Stir in finely grated 1-2 tablespoons ginger root and some basil. [I used the basil-in-a-tube from the store. For strict vegans, it does have whey in it. So you could use fresh basil.] Stir this all together and the consistency ends up like cookie dough.
Use this as a spread for a sandwich [sliced mushrooms &/or cucumbers would have been good with this] or a spread for a wrap with vegetables instead of cream cheese or whatever. Very filling. Yum.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Captain Jinks
My mother used to repeat this rhyme, source unknown [to me, anyway]:
Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines
Fed his horse on corn and beans.
I know; I pity the troops following him and his horse.
Anyway, my mother always related this to the fact that grains and legumes together tend to make up complete proteins.
Here is my recipe for today:
Captain Jinks
Cube one cup of polenta [either home-cooked cornmeal, or a tube from the store]
layer with one cup beans such as kidney or black beans [cooked, of course]
and one cup shredded almond [omigod, a fake food!] cheese-like substance.
Place in ceramic bowl, cover and nuke.
To adapt the recipe for non-vegans, use cheddar dairy cheese.
Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines
Fed his horse on corn and beans.
I know; I pity the troops following him and his horse.
Anyway, my mother always related this to the fact that grains and legumes together tend to make up complete proteins.
Here is my recipe for today:
Captain Jinks
Cube one cup of polenta [either home-cooked cornmeal, or a tube from the store]
layer with one cup beans such as kidney or black beans [cooked, of course]
and one cup shredded almond [omigod, a fake food!] cheese-like substance.
Place in ceramic bowl, cover and nuke.
To adapt the recipe for non-vegans, use cheddar dairy cheese.
Catching Up
I've been away from the computer on and off for awhile. Last week I was felled by an excruciating bout of depression, probably triggered by the number of hours I've been working and the intensity of the work, plus the number of concerns I have with my two households and feeling overwhelmed on all scores. I don't like to blog in that state of mind. I'm reluctant to come across with so much attention on the self, my sadness, anger, frustration, or self-pity unless there is some way to either make the world better with it [unlikely] or show a happy ending. So I stayed offline mostly.
My focus has been on catching up on sleep and continuing to invent things to make with plant-based whole foods. Well, mostly whole. In this incredibly revolutionary diet change I am making, probably my biggest challenge is the emotional attachment I feel to my previous diet of "anything goes with occasional forays into more healthful eating." There seems to still be an incredible amount of conscious and unconscious fear involved with leaving behind the world of food that I always knew. I think that my continual, but mostly subdued, feeling of panic has kept me eating too much, as if to ensure that I will survive.
Somewhere 'Abdu'l-Baha said that "war is the struggle for survival." So I tend to usually turn that around. Whenever I experience what I perceive [rationally or not] as a struggle for survival, I remember that is a sort of war.
I need to stay committed to my health and still find a way to be at peace. [Smiling] Probably I need to rely on God instead of food for my sense of security.
My focus has been on catching up on sleep and continuing to invent things to make with plant-based whole foods. Well, mostly whole. In this incredibly revolutionary diet change I am making, probably my biggest challenge is the emotional attachment I feel to my previous diet of "anything goes with occasional forays into more healthful eating." There seems to still be an incredible amount of conscious and unconscious fear involved with leaving behind the world of food that I always knew. I think that my continual, but mostly subdued, feeling of panic has kept me eating too much, as if to ensure that I will survive.
Somewhere 'Abdu'l-Baha said that "war is the struggle for survival." So I tend to usually turn that around. Whenever I experience what I perceive [rationally or not] as a struggle for survival, I remember that is a sort of war.
I need to stay committed to my health and still find a way to be at peace. [Smiling] Probably I need to rely on God instead of food for my sense of security.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
A Dangerous Thing
The lawn-expert neighbor, Darryl, saw me mowing the lawn with the push mower in fits and starts. "It's giving me a heart attack to watch you do that." I told him I have a power mower, but Pearl and I couldn't remember or figure out how to run it. So he came over and showed me. FYI: The top lever enables the engine to start and continue to run; the bottom lever activates the forward motion of the wheels. It was almost fun. And, best of all, there's a hidden little red button on the front which, when pushed about ten times, primes the engine for an easier start. There is no magic button for when the engine stalls out and floods. Which is why I mowed the lawn [0.42 acres] in one pass. Whew. Not pretty, but enough to keep the grass from eating New York.
Not knowing how to operate the lawn mower was a big concrete wall I couldn't get over. I didn't have time to hire someone, and as often as it rains, you have to strike while the lawn is hot. So to speak. The grass grows fast here.
Grateful as I am, I don't think I'll ever change my native preference for doing everything myself without ever involving auxiliary help such as neighbors, with the attendant concerns of owing people favors and having to be pleasant, or maybe having to help them one day. On the other hand, I never thought I'd ever give up meat or dairy products, either. Go figure.
Not knowing how to operate the lawn mower was a big concrete wall I couldn't get over. I didn't have time to hire someone, and as often as it rains, you have to strike while the lawn is hot. So to speak. The grass grows fast here.
Grateful as I am, I don't think I'll ever change my native preference for doing everything myself without ever involving auxiliary help such as neighbors, with the attendant concerns of owing people favors and having to be pleasant, or maybe having to help them one day. On the other hand, I never thought I'd ever give up meat or dairy products, either. Go figure.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Dual Station of the Manifestation
In regards to the dual station of the Manifestation of God, that of the human and that perfectly reflecting the divine, Baha'u'llah reveals:
"Say: Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My beauty but His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in My self but His Self, and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but His Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised. There hath not been in My soul but the Truth, and in Myself, naught could be seen but God."
[Summons of the Lord of Hosts, copyright Baha'i Publishing Trust.]
"Say: Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My beauty but His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in My self but His Self, and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but His Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised. There hath not been in My soul but the Truth, and in Myself, naught could be seen but God."
[Summons of the Lord of Hosts, copyright Baha'i Publishing Trust.]
Friday, May 8, 2009
OK, I'll Bite
One day a lady was sitting in the doctor's office when a man walked in with his arm missing below the elbow and a messy dressing on it. Putting down her copy of Reader's Digest she asked him, "Mister, if you don't mind my asking, what happened to your arm?"
Well, he hemmed and hawed and indicated that he really did mind her asking, but she was so curious, she kept pressing him anyway.
Finally he said, "Okay, lady, if I tell you what happened to my arm, will you quit asking me any more questions? Not one more question!" She agreed. So she said, "Okay, what happened to your arm?"
"It was bitten off."
Well, he hemmed and hawed and indicated that he really did mind her asking, but she was so curious, she kept pressing him anyway.
Finally he said, "Okay, lady, if I tell you what happened to my arm, will you quit asking me any more questions? Not one more question!" She agreed. So she said, "Okay, what happened to your arm?"
"It was bitten off."
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
On the Menu
Potato Soup:
red and baking potatoes, diced
three carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cups water
shake in to taste:
cumin, dill [which always complement potatoes and squash, etc]
oregano, basil
coriander, garlic powder,
and so forth.
Simmer 30 to 40 minutes
mash and stir in:
mashed Mori-Nu soft tofu
soy milk to proper consistency
diced raw onion [I decided that raw onion would pack more of a punch than cooked.]
Funny thing about tofu. When I say the following, it includes me: people who would never turn up their nose to sinking their teeth into a pig's snout, seasoned with nitrites and stuffed into a bun with ketchup, without ever having been properly introduced to the pig in the first place, shrink from fermented soybeans simply because it is white, tasteless and gelatinous. Go figure.
red and baking potatoes, diced
three carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cups water
shake in to taste:
cumin, dill [which always complement potatoes and squash, etc]
oregano, basil
coriander, garlic powder,
and so forth.
Simmer 30 to 40 minutes
mash and stir in:
mashed Mori-Nu soft tofu
soy milk to proper consistency
diced raw onion [I decided that raw onion would pack more of a punch than cooked.]
Funny thing about tofu. When I say the following, it includes me: people who would never turn up their nose to sinking their teeth into a pig's snout, seasoned with nitrites and stuffed into a bun with ketchup, without ever having been properly introduced to the pig in the first place, shrink from fermented soybeans simply because it is white, tasteless and gelatinous. Go figure.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
The Ridvan [Paradise] That Changed My Life
I'm still excited about changing to a plant-based whole foods diet. It's still a little scary making sure I figure it out every day what to eat. I spend an hour every day cooking. Making a whole lot of stir-fry vegetables, sometimes with Asian noodles, usually with beans stirred in instead of tofu, since, unless it's precooked to make it firm [as in restaurants], tofu tends to just scramble up. As a graduation I went to two Twelfth Day of Ridvan [this is the final day of this festival] celebrations today centered around food.
The first was a picnic in Puyallup with hamburgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers on the grill. [I don't mind using the same grill or the same utensils as meat products.] I brought my stir-fry, too, which people seemed to like. No cheese on the veggie burger. I remembered the same picnic, same place last year, and sneaking a meat burger. I used to sneak a lot of food, because it was someone else, not myself, I had to please. Clarity makes a big difference.
The second Ridvan celebration was in Tacoma, Azar's annual dinner she gives to host the Baha'is: in her business she is too busy to attend many Baha'i functions, so this is her way to participate and connect with the friends. She prepares an enormous dinner every year, and this year there were platters of turkey, platters of beef and platters of ham, as well as white rice and a Persian dish with spinach, beans and beef. I had some of that, selecting around the beef, as well as vegetables and a pasta dish. I stayed resolute in my decision to skip animal-based foods, so I'm celebrating that.
My first benefit is clarity about what to eat; with the food compulsion I always agonized about it. My second benefit is sort of a serenity and joy. I focus on eating the proper foods and let go of all my other food anxieties. My third benefit is focusing on people, conversation, and friendship, and being fully present, instead of hiding in the process of eating or agonizing.
Hello, my true self. Hello, friends!
The first was a picnic in Puyallup with hamburgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers on the grill. [I don't mind using the same grill or the same utensils as meat products.] I brought my stir-fry, too, which people seemed to like. No cheese on the veggie burger. I remembered the same picnic, same place last year, and sneaking a meat burger. I used to sneak a lot of food, because it was someone else, not myself, I had to please. Clarity makes a big difference.
The second Ridvan celebration was in Tacoma, Azar's annual dinner she gives to host the Baha'is: in her business she is too busy to attend many Baha'i functions, so this is her way to participate and connect with the friends. She prepares an enormous dinner every year, and this year there were platters of turkey, platters of beef and platters of ham, as well as white rice and a Persian dish with spinach, beans and beef. I had some of that, selecting around the beef, as well as vegetables and a pasta dish. I stayed resolute in my decision to skip animal-based foods, so I'm celebrating that.
My first benefit is clarity about what to eat; with the food compulsion I always agonized about it. My second benefit is sort of a serenity and joy. I focus on eating the proper foods and let go of all my other food anxieties. My third benefit is focusing on people, conversation, and friendship, and being fully present, instead of hiding in the process of eating or agonizing.
Hello, my true self. Hello, friends!
Good Neighbors
Since Pearl's husband left we haven't cut a blade of grass. About a week ago Pearl asked for help starting the gas mower and we both were stumped. Which handle do you squeeze at the top while you are pulling the rope? And so on. She was able to cut a narrow swathe of grass with the human-powered mower, stopping for a rest and a drink of water every twenty minutes, and cut about 2% of the lawn in a morning. I haven't had time, period.
I have a neighbor that seems to derive the greatest satisfaction in grooming his yard to the smallest gnat's whisker during the spring and summer, out there with his riding mower every dry day. So I was thinking about whether it was possible to leave a note on the fence and ask how much money he would like for mowing my yard. I thought about asking our very friendly other neighbor, that originally owned the property. But haven't found the time.
This morning before work I took Pearl for another practice drive. Before we left, the friendlier neighbor asked how we were, then asked if he could mow the lawn. I said, "How much can I pay you to do it?" He declined payment. When we got back two hours later they were both out there with a weedeater and rider mower, looking as if they were having the time of their lives. I bet they were watching that lawn grow to a foot high, thinking, "Just let me get at that!"
Maybe we can make May baskets for them.
In the small town where I grew up, my mom had a short list of neighbors who were receptive to trick-or-treating on Halloween. On May Day, we made baskets with treats and flowers for the same people we visited on Halloween; knocked on the door and ran and hid. Watched them look around with irritation, then look down and see the baskets and smile, call out, "Thank you!" It ws every bit as much fun as trick-or-treating.
I have a neighbor that seems to derive the greatest satisfaction in grooming his yard to the smallest gnat's whisker during the spring and summer, out there with his riding mower every dry day. So I was thinking about whether it was possible to leave a note on the fence and ask how much money he would like for mowing my yard. I thought about asking our very friendly other neighbor, that originally owned the property. But haven't found the time.
This morning before work I took Pearl for another practice drive. Before we left, the friendlier neighbor asked how we were, then asked if he could mow the lawn. I said, "How much can I pay you to do it?" He declined payment. When we got back two hours later they were both out there with a weedeater and rider mower, looking as if they were having the time of their lives. I bet they were watching that lawn grow to a foot high, thinking, "Just let me get at that!"
Maybe we can make May baskets for them.
In the small town where I grew up, my mom had a short list of neighbors who were receptive to trick-or-treating on Halloween. On May Day, we made baskets with treats and flowers for the same people we visited on Halloween; knocked on the door and ran and hid. Watched them look around with irritation, then look down and see the baskets and smile, call out, "Thank you!" It ws every bit as much fun as trick-or-treating.
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