The Gypsy on Adventure

Self-love

Today is one of the coolest days we will have, by Weds it will be over 100 again! GROAN So I spent the day making turkey chili and 2 turkey meatloaves to freeze. I want to do a soup but I really don't have a lot of veggies to throw in the pot.

 

 

 

 

 

I have spent the day being lazy, put up the nominations for Random Acts of Mail for the week. Then spent time catching up with creating layouts in my Hobonichi planner/journal, posted them to instgram. Checked on the plants. 

 

 

 

 

 

Sat on the couch watching Discovery of Witches Season 1 and some of Season 2 while I messed around with Procreate and did some sketching in my sketch book. 

Just laidback and no pressure day. Only thing is I keep hearing the air support going over to Auburn for the Bridge Fire and I have to say it puts me on edge. 

Some times self-love shows up in cooking all day to get a jump on the week. In heat I hate to cook and I don't want the house heating up so when we get a break I try to jump on it. I didn't have anything else to make, we bought a huge pack of ground turkey and needed to cook it up.  I don't know what else will be added to the week, most likely salads and chicken. We may do a BBQ on the hottest day so we don't have to heat the house up.

Blog along with Effy Wild

Goals and Practices

Life is hard. 

Even when you are in a really good place in your life, life is hard. 

Reminders to myself...I always choose a word for the year, and this year it is two... "Be Kind".

And in January I decided to start meditating again...and being more mindful. I love following Dan Harris Podcast 10% Happier. Have you ever noticed when you make a decision to enrich your life, that all the odds come at you to derail you? And it has happened...my mind gets so cluttered with thoughts from the pain of other people. I have to remember to L E T G O...  Breathe through the hard parts. I cannot change their lives for them, I cannot fix things...I can try to give them wisdom...but it is up to them to take it.

I have been enjoying my kitchen and cooking...feeling a connection to my grandma as I figure out how to really cook. And then I read this today: 

Seriously, Just Chop the Carrot  

• Turning cooking into a mindfulness practice does not require fancy broiling, braising, or basting. We don’t need to have a Michelin star to be a mindful chef—all that is required is our five senses.

• “When you cut the carrot, just cut the carrot,” says Lulu Cook. Don’t mindlessly chop. Notice the colors, smells and sounds, and feel your fingertips as you prepare the food. Paying attention in this way can be nourishing not only to our taste buds, but all of our senses and state of mind.

• Stuffing the closest edible item into your mouth without a second thought to how it got to there is an easy habit to develop. Try taking a mindful moment to reflect on where your food came from, who was involved and the effort it took to make it to your plate. Adding a dash of gratitude into the meal can be a nice seasoning.

And I would add a dash of gratitude for learning how to prepare a good meal...a really flavorful meal...every thing tastes vibrant to me since I started to really cook. It is amazing! I even enjoy leftovers...like this beautiful chicken soup with lentle, barley, leeks, squash and zucchini.  Some how with the preparation of food I meditate and clear the crap that rattles around my head from other peoples noise. I find a connection that is deeper with WGB...in this really great life I have with him. It is the simple rituals of life that are the sweetest.

 

Alcohol Inks

What do you do on a wintering kind of day in March? Have friends over for home made chicken soup and fruit salad, while my friend Judith showed Loretta and I how to play with Alcohol inks!Oooooooh! So much fun! I can see a lot of cards being made! And you can use glossy photo paper! 

 

Another reason to be grateful! Being around your tribe and getting together to play! To be able to share my home and new love of cooking. They had not been able to see the house yet and we were well over due for a visit.