Disco is My Cosmos

Life can be pretty stressful, particularly around the holidays. Things can seem way out of proportion. So I decided to put into practice "the newsworthy test." Take your problem for the day. In your mind, or out loud, say it in a newscaster's voice. There is no other context in human interaction that a person could get away with such strange emphasis on words and timing as a newscaster. They just pick random words and sing them in the international newscaster's song. So take this voice and state your problem. For example: "Susie's mom gave Susie explicit instructions not to touch the applesauce jar on the kitchen counter top. Susie is too young and not tall enough to successfully remove the jar without incident. This morning, at 7:48 am, Susie did not heed her mother's advice, and dropped the jar on the floor. There was applesauce everywhere!" This is just an example, but if you read it like a newscaster, it sounds ridiculous! As do a lot ...

While I was meditating this morning, the realization came to me that my thoughts have been on "automatic pilot" lately. That is, they just pop in my head, and I take them as truth and often act on them, without even considering if they are "good" thoughts. That is, are they thoughts that serve me? Or are they ego-driven thoughts, sent by my ego just to make sure it still is in the cockpit, the captain of my thoughts. There's some, what I would call, "unhealthy" thoughts, self-deprecating thoughts, which I then internalize. By the end of the day, I'm exhausted dealing with these thoughts. These speculations that dwell in the past or the future, but never in the present. Do I need to listen to all these thoughts, or do what they say, or take them into my emotional core? No. A big, resounding, NO. The trick is to figure out which thoughts are coming from where. But it's becoming easier for me to see through the ego's charade. Usua...

I've been looking at battery life today. My cell phone, my mp3 player...these devices give clear indications of the battery life left in them. Once the battery is low, you simply re-charge them. You stick them into an electrical outlet and in an hour or so they are fully up and running again. It's clear-cut and simple. But what about a human's "battery life", and by that, I don't necessarily mean their entire battery life, or whole life, but these bursts of energy we have each day, before we must re-charge every night with sleep. We have multiple levels of "batteries", and multiple ways to re-charge them. Instead of a clear-cut gauge, we can only guess when our batteries are low. We may feel tired, unmotivated, or groggy. Not only can we feel physically exhausted, but we can feel mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. This resembles those multiple ink levels on the printer. There's usually black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. So...

I have this chronic pain that occurs in the right side of my neck and into my right shoulder blade. Sometimes, usually when I'm not expecting it, the pain delves further down my ribs and into my right hip. Regular massage, chiropractic, walking, and stretching, all help to manage the pain. But sometimes, I'll be sitting watching tv or lying in bed reading, and I'll be pestered by this insistent pain. So I do what people naturally do...I extend one arm uncomfortably and attempt to access the point of pain. But while I'm doing this, my body is contorting in all sorts of angles that cannot be good for my overall posture. But the pain is so annoying...I just want it to go away! Why can't I just access the area and not have to feel it any more? But it never goes this way. It feels like a relief for a few seconds. But what I'm doing is in fact just reinforcing the problem. I am mentally and physically recognizing the pain and accentuating it by my self massage....

I found myself in a place by a pond Voluntarily, I roamed I liked it there Initially I talked to a raven haired girl She wanted to read my palms She took me in a room And I saw a man with a needle I ran away Bu the place called me back Against my will They sedated my Love And tried to sedate me But I told them Even if they sedated me The Truth was still there This illusion of contentment Didn't fool the universe So I ran away And saved my Love And the place couldn't Call us back Because we knew the Truth.

The phrase "too much on my plate" is widely used, but I didn't have a real grasp of its meaning until this morning. Coming back from vacation, I have multiple "to do" lists piling up. But what I've noticed is that this is a pattern. I commit to too many things and allow myself to be distracted by phone calls or emails and before I know it, my "plate" is loaded so high and it's not only that I can't eat it all...I am so distracted by all the things around me that I can't even stop to eat what's on the plate. So, before long, the arugula starts wilting and the cheese becomes pungent. The paradox is that I've created this massive pile on my plate. I've allowed myself to take more than I can chew. And, moving forward, it's obvious that there's some rotting vegetation that will have to be thrown out, and some things eaten before any thing else can go on. I am so careful, for the most part, about what I eat in real ...

I've been finding a pretty good indication of what I want to do or what I want to avoid is my gut reaction to a telephone call. And when I say "what I want to do", in this instance, I am referring to my career path. As a massage therapist and part time artist/photographer, there are many branches of work that stem from professions. But I am finding out more and more what I actually would like to do by how I respond to requests. Pilates training? Yes. Speaking to a group about wellness? Yes. Doing a creative photo project or wedding? Yes. But there's some things I don't get excited about. A last minute table massage. A crowded event for photography. Anything that involves me spending more than 30 minutes on a computer. Now, it's not to say that I will just turn down these less than perfect opportunities. They provide an income and perhaps will spurn another, more desirable job in the future. However, just listening to what I am feeling and how I reac...

Sometimes life seems like an ice cube tray. There's cubes that you try to select. You work on that tray, twisting it ever so slightly, to dislodge what you think is the perfect cube for your drink. But a lot of the time, another cube becomes dislodged first. You think, "I didn't want that one, it's too big or too small for my drink," but there's no stopping it. You are getting that unwanted cube, no more questions asked. Sometimes if you get particularly frustrated, you twist the tray too much. All the cubes (except for those really stubborn ones) come falling out, sometimes all over the floor and/or counter top. Now you have no choice but to pick up the now contaminated pieces and hope you have another tray waiting in the freezer. You'd better wipe up the floor so as not to slip on the gradually melting ice. There are rare occasions that the ice cube search goes according to plan: you get that one ice cube you desire, without any others falling o...

I've been struggling with the fact that I really enjoy several creative avenues and sometimes have trouble deciding which one to take. Sometimes I wish I were one of those people who ONLY painted or ONLY wrote...but now I'm beginning to realize that instead of trying to narrow down my creative outlets, maybe I should expand upon them, or at least pick one as the mood strikes me? Some creative outlets I enjoy: Photography Writing Painting Singing Writing/Playing music Thinking up short films Designing Clothes Cooking I also like watching dancing very much..sometimes I wish I were trained in dancing or could try it as a creative outlet. By letting go of the idea of having to "choose", perhaps I will be more free to decide which one I am more drawn to, or at least be able to explore many and enjoy them in the process of doing so? I say this because I have friends who are creative in multiple ways and I am guessing there are people out there who second guess themselves w...

I was really in the mood for mushroom soup, and in a dream, I ate a version with crispy bacon and spinach added in. So I made up my dream soup and hoped it would be as good as the dream. It really was! Here's the recipe: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cream_of_mushroom_soup/ Then I just added really crispy bacon and uncooked spinach at the end. Sure beats anything you can find in a can!

My cat is my little Buddha. She is a reminder of the impermanence of everything. She is a bit like life...she has about 50 personalities and you never know which one you are going to get next. Sometimes she's really cute and purring; sometimes she's attacking (and more than in a playful way); sometimes she's running 50 miles an hour across the living room, being completely psycho. When she graces me with her presence by sitting with me on the couch or bed for a few moments, I pet her and think, "this is only going to last for a few moments. Soon she is going to run away and turn into another cat." And thus is life: and, why would we expect it any other way? But we do. We expect things to last forever, or we hope they don't, but I'll tell you what: when Mrs. Meow Meow feels like attacking, she's going to attack until she feels like stopping. Do I really have any control over her? I can get her down off the computer keyboard; I can yell at her to...

I am just going to preface this post by saying right now: it may seem controversial. And that is because it's my opinion. But I just had to share it. I received an email today about a "magic wand" that is supposed to heal. Looking at the site, I then learned that in order to buy it or sell it, it is necessary to "join" and become part of what is similar to a multilevel marketing program. So I've seen a lot of this before: products that you drink, eat, play with, watch, or read, that are apparently "so special" that you have to sign up immediately to sell them instead of just buy one. This makes me skeptical. I'm going to quote from Carl Sagan: "Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence." It seems to me that if something is really, really good, and it can potentially help millions of people, why the secrecy? Why the extraordinary cost? Now, I am not suggesting a person who has worked on something marvelous and ground break...

Now that I am running my own business, I find it increasingly more important to have some time each day to reflect. Today is a prime example. I did not take time to stretch or sit still in the morning, and went through a series of cancellations and meetings that were scrambled. It seems what's fashionable at the moment (in 2010) is multitasking. Even as I am writing this, I am heating up lunch in the microwave. But is multitasking the way to go? For me, I struggle with it. I also struggle with traffic and grocery stores. I doubt anyone really likes those tasks, but for me, the more I deal with them and the older I get, the more I desire an alternative, or at least, some time to myself so when I have to go out there in the real world, I have a new perspective. I am reading Sarah Susanka's "The Not So Big Life", http://www.notsobiglife.com/ and it is really making an impression on me. I've had it checked out from the library now for a couple of months, and am...

I made this really easy, very inexpensive alternative to Shepherd's Pie tonight. It's all vegetarian and requires only two saucepans! No oven required. Great in the summer! You simply: 1)Boil Potatoes in one saucepan 2) In another pan, add cut up onions, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms. You can saute the onions and garlic first if you like, in some olive oil. Once all the ingredients are in, pour in red wine. Add garlic powder, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Bring to boil. Cover and let simmer for at least 20 minutes (while potatoes are boiling). 3) Drain potatoes, then put them back in the saucepan and add milk (or soymilk), butter (or smart balance vegetarian butter, that's what I used), salt, pepper, and I added some grated English cheddar. 4) When everything is done, put the veggie saute in the bottom of a bowl, then the potatoes on top. You can also add the grated cheese on top (this is extra yummy!) And you are all set! I didn't take photos of this one, but I'm...

I made gnocchi the other night. It is a really easy and filling meal. You basically just need: store bought gnocchi (I get the whole wheat kind) pesto that you can make in a food processor with: pine nuts, olive oil, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, maybe some garlic salt The gnocchi only takes about 3 minutes to cook. Then you can mix in the fresh pesto. I added whole pine nuts, basil leaves, and cherry tomatoes, just to give some extra texture and color. I also finished it off with some grated Parmesan cheese...yummy!! It is so delicious, but very filling, so don't be surprised if you have leftovers!

Trying new things can be scary. I liken it to taking a bath. When you are in the bath, it's all warm and cozy, and you feel so relaxed and content. But you know that, in a little while, the water is going to become lukewarm, and your hands are going to get prune-y. So you know that you can't stay in that bathtub much longer. But the one shoulder that's sticking out of the water knows that, in reference to the water you are in, the room temperature is lower. It's a bit of a shock. "Should I get out?" you ask yourself. You waiver. You could turn on the faucet and add more hot water, but that's just delaying things (and I don't know about you, but I have one of the smallest hot water tanks ever, so if there's any hot water left after filling up the tub, it's a miracle). So you take that leap, step up out of the bath, and realize the temperature isn't as bad as you thought. It's actually quite pleasant (let's assume it's e...

Three things I recommend to have in your kitchen cabinet at any given time to use for cooking: Vermouth, Marsala, and Sherry. Vermouth: You can use this in risotto, sauteing shrimp, in black bean soup, for sauteing chicken, or pretty much any recipe that calls for white wine. There's sweet and dry: I have been cooking with dry, but you can experiment. Marsala: This is delicious for chicken marsala, but also can be used to saute all sorts of mushrooms, particularly portobello. What I recommend is cooking the portobello mushroom in the marsala, and then putting grated manchego cheese on it and letting it melt while the mushroom is still in the pan. Yummy! Again, there are dry and sweet marsalas; I've tried both, and I've had much success with both. Sherry: This is particularly excellent for stewing fruits like apples and pears. Add them to the saucepan with some sweetener like honey or agave nectar and bring them to a boil with the sherry barely covering them. Cover an...

These are the three most useful tools in the kitchen: 1) food processor 2) toaster oven 3) wok or shallow cooking pan 1) food processor: This is one of the best things ever! You can do so much with it. You can make soups, gazpacho (cold soup), burgers (especially vegetarian ones), hummus, salsa, and I'm sure there's more. I have a 15-20 year old Robot Coupe http://www.robotcoupeusa.com/ and it's really, really good. One thing about food processor cooking is that, although it's good to follow recipes, you can add or delete ingredients and amount of ingredients at your discretion. For example, tonight I made falafel balls in it (and baked them in the oven) and I looked at an online recipe but pretty much added ingredients to my liking. I call it the "zen" way of cooking. Just always remember to do this when you are not distracted by anything else (including pets or significant other, and absolutely no tv!) 2) Toaster oven: I was only introduced to this when ...

Here's some basic cleaning techniques: Baking Soda and Vinegar To scrub your kitchen sink, bathtub, toiler rim or around your faucet: put some vinegar in a spray bottle take one of the boxes of baking soda that's probably been in the fridge for 6 months instead of the recommended 1 month. They are really cheap, you can replace them...go for it! empty a plentiful amount of baking soda on the surface. spray with the vinegar. take a scrub brush ( I use one that I used to use on the dishes, ikea has them for $1, or the dollar store has good ones too!) and run it under water. then add the wet brush to the baking soda and vinegar. You can spray more vinegar at this point. You'll see that the mix makes this awesome scrub. Make sure you rinse it all off really well. Avoid doing this before guests come over, because your house may smell like vinegar for a while. You can also use an old toothbrush for the faucet to really get the grime off. Disinfectant spray take a spray bott...

I would say on the domestically challenged scale, let's call it 1-10, 1 being the least and 10 being the most, I wouldn't say I'm really low in the scale, but I could probably only give myself a 5 at this point. Growing up in a couple of decades where the "cool" thing to do was to buy the most chemically-concentrated products for cleaning and popping a meal in a plastic tray in the microwave was the norm, there are definitely some things I missed out on. Now, in 2010, it seems all the things people used to do...sew, cook, re-purpose, even make your own one of a kind apron - is in vogue again. That's really cool because it's obviously better to cook your own food (even grow it if you can), make your own curtains or even a skirt if you get adventurous; and finding a piece of furniture on the side of the road, sanding it, painting it and displaying it prominently in your kitchen is cool, even if you probably had the money to go to Ikea and get yourself a n...