Monday, May 23, 2011

The Remedy is the Experience


This is me... IN SPIRIT ;~)p.



Looking SO forward to my trip back to Humboldt with my son!

The redwood trees.
Good friends.
Kids.
Families.
Fun.

It's been 20 years since I graduated from HSU. That place holds so many amazing memories for me.

Friends, families, fun, forests and Facebook. Five F-words I'll happily shout from the rooftops. Add food and well, you've pretty much made my day. Thanks to Facebook for reconnecting us again.

It's been about the same length of time since I've seen most of my friends. I have no doubt we'll fall back into place in our friendships, and our kids will have a blast regardless.

Hoping for a nice beach day in there somewhere... and DEFINITELY a hike (daily? we'll be so close!) in the forest!

I've been googling pics of the redwoods so I could show my son how AWESOME they are. I was really trying to convey their grandeur. I'm so looking forward to seeing them! I think I'll be blown away all over again and I hope, at some point, I can capture their magnificence and bring back a good photo or two for the walls of the condo.

As I was surfing the web, I randomly stumbled across a website: Cathedral Grove, where I found all of the pictures featured in this post. These people are the PASSIONATE protectors of our beautiful redwoods.

While browsing the site, I came across this pretty amazing live art demonstration for the cause. It's beautiful and eerie and creates an impact.



I'm seriously looking forward to reconnecting with the redwoods and their power.

I've been feeling power-full lately.

Feeling good. In control, strong—creatively, mentally, spiritually—physically active, more healthy, engaged, giving my best, in the moment, filling time with quality experiences ... that's how I'm defining it these days.

I'm going to try to do something that feels good every day. I hope you'll do the same. We all deserve to feel good!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Blender Issues...

It was a great weekend of accomplishment —
  • PHYSICALLY (two great walks + a kick ass swim session with my son — makes a mama proud!)
  • MENTALLY (transitioning into my independence since buying a condo, cleaning/decorating my space and focusing on my son)
  • INNOVATIVELY (if you consider cooking and decorating innovative!)
I've been craving soup and mojitos lately.

In both instances, it was experimental... and in both instances, it felt necessary to bring out a device with blades. So, I guess you could say, this weekend was also blendistastrous and blenderrific.

The first instance of unexpected results happened while trying to process an incredible mexican soup — cilantro, potato, carrots, fire-roasted tomatoes, pollo asado and pasillo peppers, with sauteed garlic and onion.

It sounds delightful doesn't it? Can you imagine a creamy soup with those flavors?

Well, the veggies were not quite yet cooked, so the blended version was definitely short of the creamy concoction I anticipated.

Let's just say... crunchy potatoes... not so good.

Then today, while making those anticipated mojitos... well, I kinda forgot to mash the mint with the sugar, and then, ran short on lime juice, so... I blended the first half of the first drink with a variety of new ingredients in the blender.

When I blended it, it didn't turn into the drink I anticipated, rather, the mint and froth all rose to the top. Blech. Let's just say, tidbits of mint in the teeth... not so good.

I had to strain the mint in order to get a good drink out of it but ultimately, such yumminess!

Lesson: When you blend mint in the blender, strain before drinking AND don't blend veggies before they're cooked.

Random. I know.

My life, nonetheless.

It's a great mojito recipe though!