GO!

• Drink water
• Find joy
• Attend Church
• Get rid of stuff
• Work on your focus
• Eat more fiber
• Give sleep a chance
• Improve important relationships
• Eat dark chocolate daily

Time to take a look at my resolutions.  They say that at this point, about one month into the new year, most people have already failed on their resolutions.  Not so here.  I feel that I am on track.  I am still loving that dark chocolate!  Do I keep mentioning that one?  That’s because it is my favorite.   Today I am thinking about joy.  Blogging has brought joy to my life.  Why, you ask?  Because I have met so many wonderful people.  I read acres of funny, interesting, or thoughtful posts from people I have never met.  I read lovely poetry and viewed great art.  It has been such a pleasure.  And I have been thinking how interesting the “blogsphere” is.  There are people whose blogs I regularly visit and who visit mine.  I have come to know these people and I truly conside them my friends.  I find that fascinating since I have never met them in person, would not know the sound of their voice, and in some cases have no idea what they look like.  And yet… they are my friends.  And they bring such joy to my life.  When I find that they have commented on one of my posts it brightens my day immediately.  And when I view their work or read their thoughts, that too brightens my day.  So to all you bloggers out there who I have touched and who have touched my world.  Thank you.  You have enriched my life.  Have a great week!

 

Get set…

Did I say I would blog everyday? I can’t remember. If I did – FAIL! No matter. I’m not sure I would have enough to blog about everyday. But I have been plugging away ay my resolutions. The easiest one to see through every day is eating dark chocolate. Yum! I have been doing well with church and drinking lots of water. I haven’t done anything to get rid of stuff. That takes time and I just haven’t had enough of that yet. I WILL get there. I actually find it eady to find joy in every day. I can do it even on days that don’t go well. I mean, there is always some small thing that truly brings me joy even if ony for a moment. So those were my stand-by resolutions. Now for the new ones.

Let see, I already said that eating dark chocolate is going well. I am also doing fairly well at getting enough sleep. I have slipped on that one occasionally, but for the most part I am doing okay. I haven’t really addressed relationships. While I feel most are in good shape, one can always do better. I don’t want to name names, but there are some family that I think could use some extra TLC and i need to get to work on that. I haven’t really thought about working on my focus, and i think I need to do that. But I have been successful with getting more fiber. I could do better, but I’m doing okay.

So far so good. I’d like to try and post a sky shot, but i haven’t done that from my new Ipad and I’m not sure i can figure it out. Let’s hit the “more” button on the toolbar and see what happens!

Nope. You’ll have to wait until I can get access to my desktop system. My husband has been working from home a lot and hogging my office/studio. It is a major drag. I love you honey, but please go back to work!

On your mark….

• Drink water
• Find joy
• Attend Church
• Get rid of stuff
• Work on your focus
• Eat more fiber
• Give sleep a chance
• Improve important relationships
• Eat dark chocolate daily

This is my first sky shot for the new year.  Okay, it’s not the best shot, but it was early in the morning – before 6 am.  I’m not at my best for taking pictures then!  What’s important is that this is the first full moon of the year.  It seemed like a good place to start.

I went to the grocery store today.  I didn’t need that many items since my wonderful hubs shopped at the beginning of the week.  That left me free to contemplate how to get more fruits, vegetables and whole grains into my daily diet.  I started in the produce section and picked out some fruits and vegetables.  I got some prepackaged chopped veggies that I thought I could stir fry easily for lunch with a little of this and a little of that.  I don’t mind spending a lot of effort to put dinner together at night but I feel that lunch should be quick, easy and healthy.  From there I wandered up and down the aisles checking items of my grocery list and seeing what else caught my eye for healthy lunches.  I picked up a can of Amy’s vegetarian chili.  It’s all natural so I felt pretty good about that.  In the frozen vegetable aisle I picked up a bag of rice with veggies.  It has carbs but as long as I don’t go overboard that doesn’t bug me.  I can easily microwave it for a healthy lunch.  It didn’t have any calorie laden sauces or lots of salt.  Finally in the frozen entrée section I picked out a vegetarian shepherds pie by Amy’s.  The only problem with the products from Amy’s is that they are FULL of salt.  I realized this when I got home.  The bane of processed food no matter how natural it is.  I will steer clear of those in the future.  For lunch I picked a homemade split pea soup from the in-house prepared food section and got a small baguette of whole grain bread to have with it ( not the WHOLE baguette!).  I had a clementine along with those and a square of extra dark chocolate to round it all off.  Yum.  I felt like it was healthy and it was definitely delicious.  I am now armed to try to eat vegetarian for lunch.  I don’t want to go whole-heartedly down the vegetarian path but I do want to reduce the amount of meat I eat.  The new resolutions are off to a good start!

Here’s a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com that looks healthy, yummy and can be made without the meat.  I haven’t tried it yet so I will report back when I do!  UPDATE:  My family and I made this recipe this week minus the ham and mango.  While not delicious, I found it to be perfectly edible.  Not so my family.  They found it to be inedible and promptly ordered out for pizza.  Really!  I guess I will try future recipes before posting/reposting them. 

Brazilian Black Bean Stew

Ingredients

•                     1 tablespoon canola oil
•                     1/4 pound chorizo sausage, chopped
•                     1/3 pound cooked ham, chopped
•                     1 medium onion, chopped
•                     2 cloves garlic, minced
•                     2 (1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
•                     1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
•                     1 small hot green chile pepper, diced
•                     1 1/2 cups water
•                     2 (16 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
•                     1 mango – peeled, seeded and diced
•                     1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
•                     1/4 teaspoon salt

            Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the chorizo and ham 2 to 3 minutes. Place the onion in the pot, and cook until tender. Stir in garlic, and cook until tender, then mix in the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes with juice, chile pepper, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.
2. Stir the beans into the pot, and cook uncovered until heated through. Mix in the mango and cilantro, and season with salt.

 

Resolution Revolution

http://connect.facebook.net/rsrc.php/v1/yD/r/GL74y29Am1r.swf

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This blog has been about finding the joy in small moments each day. However, it is a new year so I think I am going to shift the focus a bit. From here forward it is going to be about my 2012 New Years resolutions. Up until a couple of years ago I never engaged in the process of making resolutions. I didn’t really buy into the whole idea. But two years ago I decided to set some. I didn’t want to go with the usual ones that everyone seems to set for themselves.  No “I am going to lose weight” or “I am going to eat healthier”. Those were not the types of things I was thinking about. I set four goals the last two years. They were as follows:

Drink water. I never seem to drink enough water during the day and I knew that doing so would offer many benefits.  My goal was to drink the recommended 8 8oz glasses per day.  I figured if I got anywhere close I would be doing much better than I usually do.  I have found that carrying a water bottle along with me makes this a much easier task.

Find joy. This lead to the original focus of this blog. There is joy in every day even if it is just that you are still here!  Each day, no matter how good or bad, I try to reflect on it and find some small joyful moment.  It can be as simple as a smile from someone you don’t know, to someone opening a door for you.  Random acts of kindness.  They are out there each and every day!

Attend Church. I believe that attending church is a good thing. It gives me a good, warm feeling. At the time I set the resolutions I was unhappy with the Catholic church.  I have since switched to the Congregational church in town and my daughter and I are so happy now.  I’m sure my Dad rolled over in his grave when I did that, but believe me Dad, it is all for the best!

Get rid of stuff. Most of us are surrounded by stuff. Lots of stuff. And much of it we simply don’t need. So I resolved to get rid of stuff that was cluttering my existence.

I did pretty well on these resolutions the past two years. The only one I haven’t executed well is getting rid of stuff. I need to work at that a little harder. This year I am going to add to this list. A friend of mine posted a list of five suggested resolutions, from Carolyn Butler at the Washington post, that resonated with me. That list is as follows:

Work on your focus

 Eat more fiber

Give sleep a chanceImprove important relationships

Eat dark chocolate daily

For the detailed article click here, http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/some-other-new-years-resolutions-to-make-you-healthier-and-happier-in-2012/2011/12/19/gIQAk5IpWP_story.html?wpisrc=nl_health

These sound reasonable and well worth shooting for.  I’ll bet you’ll be shocked to find that I am already doing quite well at eating dark chocolate every day!  LOVE that!

My mother-in-law also pointed out another list from Newsweek designed to improve your brain, found here.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/some-other-new-years-resolutions-to-make-you-healthier-and-happier-in-2012/2011/12/19/gIQAk5IpWP_story.html?wpisrc=nl_health  At 31 items I think I will improve my brain just trying to remember them all.  I mean, come on, you’ll need a cheat sheet for this one.  I didn’t really buy into this list.  However, I am learning  a language, French, and doing that was on the list.  It also suggested playing an instrument, and since I play piano I guess I’ve got that covered as well.  Hmmmmm, I’m already up 2 out of 31.  Wow, a stellar start!

Along with my updates on the trials and tribulations of trying to meet my resolutions I thought I would post a picture each day.  Or maybe even two.  I would like to include a sky shot every day.  This idea occurred to me this morning as I sat gazing out my bedroom window.  Living here in New England, with our highly variable weather, the sky can be an interesting subject.  So stay tuned for those as well.

For those of you who have followed this blog in the past, I invite you to come along for the ride.  But if the shift in focus isn’t your thing, no worries.  Tomorrow we start!

Do you ever think we give enough thought to how much we have?

Do you ever think we give enough thought to how much we have?  I mean, think about it.  We always seem to want more.  We always seem to compare ourselves to people who have more and find we are lacking.  How about comparing ourselves to those who have less and be thankful for how much we have.  I was thinking about this yesterday.  I live in a big, beautiful house in a nice suburb.  I drive an expensive (and beautiful) car.  I have a thoughtful, kind, funny and good-looking husband.  I have a smart, beautiful, athletic, funny and kind daughter.  I am a member of a gallery inBoston’s South End where I show my art.  I have some very dear friends who would help me in an instant should I need it.  I have a loving and supportive family.  I am slim, healthy, and well fed.  I belong to a great church with another lovely group of people who would offer help should we have the need.  I have money in the bank and my daughter will likely go to a very good college.  I’ve been to Europe and the Caribbean.  I’ve seen almost every state in theU.S.  I am learning French just for fun.  I have heat when the weather is cold and A/C when it is hot.  I have a soft, warm bed to sleep in each night and soft pillows to rest my head on.  I have more than enough food in the house and have to throw away leftovers that we don’t use up or vegetables that don’t fully get eaten.  I’m sitting in a comfortable wing chair that was passed to me from my parents.  I had two parents that never divorced and loved each other for 48 years (and I’m sure still do in another dimension).  I grew up in a normal slightly above average family and never wanted for anything.  I have good shoes to wear and ones for every occasion and for all weather.  I have acres of books on my shelves.  I love in a country where I can say and do and wear what I want.  I have freedom and freedom of expression.  I have 2 TV’s and two computers.  I have soft carpets for my feet and slippers to keep my feet warm.  I have lots of clothes for all kinds of weather.  I went to college and my parents paid for it.  I have clean water always available, plumbing and electricity in my house and medical assistance nearby should I fall ill.  It’s funny how you start with the big things but it is the basic necessities of life that come farther down the list.  We take these things for granted and yet there are so many lacking these simple basics.  I have roads and if necessary taxis, buses and other transport at hand.  And despite what we are doing to our world, we have air to breath and birds, animals and wildlife still abound.  It is a wondrous place, our world, and we should be thankful for our time here.  So many people are cheated from a full and long life.  Enjoy each day and consider the abundant wealth of your existence what ever it may be.  While you may not have as much as the next person, I’m sure you have much more than so many others.

Sunshine

Today the sun is shining – for the royal couple perhaps?  No, I think it’s because those of us in New England have been subjected to enough grey weather this week.  Today was a reward for making it through a dark, damp week and getting through to the weekend.  My spirits were so uplifted by the sunshine.  The red cardinal was redder and the goldfinch brilliant!  Right now I am sitting in my favorite spot in my home – my study.  My Mom passed away in 1988 and my Dad in 2001.  My parents always had two arm chairs in the living room wherever we lived.  Each of them had “their” favorite chair and they would spend idle time together reading in their chairs.  I can picture my Mom with her legs curled up in her chair, head against the part that juts out at the top, eyes closed and content.  When my father was ill, he spent copious time sitting in “his” chair and each of us children at various times sat with him occupying Moms.  By this time both chairs were quite worn but terribly comfortable.  After he passed I volunteered to take the chairs since no one else seemed interested.  I brought them home to my house which was fairly new at the time and still in need of furniture.  I placed them in my study and thought that I would eventually recover them.  Over time I decorated the study and turned it into a room I love to stay in.  At this time of day the sun pours in and it is a wonderful sanctuary.  I never did reupholster the  the chairs.  I am sitting in Moms and Dads is right nearby.  They are still a pair as they always were.  Somehow I feel connected to my parents through these chairs.  They are a bit old and tatty but I don’t think I want to change them one bit.  Sure they are old and worn.  But they are a talisman from my past.  A part of my past that brought me to the wonderful present I am living.  I’m thinking of you Mom and Dad.  You remain in my heart and are, therefore, always with me.

A “Green” Art Exhibit

I am currently exhibiting two pieces of art in an exhibit in New York.  However, it is not your typical art exhibit.  All of the art in this exhibit is made from recycled, or rather upcycled, materials.  The other artists and myself have created art using cast-off materials from society.  The name of the exhibit is Art from Detritus, and it is curated by Vernita Nemec.  She has curated many of these exhibits and this is the second one in which I have participated.  The art in the show ranges from serious and beautiful pieces to ones that are whimsical and fun.  It’s exciting to be a part of something new, exciting, and what I feel is important.  We generate so much waste in this world and this is yet another way to recycle and reuse products.  If you’d like more information on this exhibit you can find it on my other blog at:

http://artimagica.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/art-from-detritus-3/