Author: SP

Identity

Yesterday at 9:17pm the moon was new again – so as I sit to write this, I’m only 24 hours past when I should have posted – compared to the last few months, this is progress.

Last month’s focus was on Perspective. In that post I had said that “Seeing myself for who I am, and growing more comfortable in the concept of my own self, has shifted that Perspective and shows me that had I stopped trying so hard, I might have been able to welcome the gifts I’d been chasing away.”

I’ve spent much of my life putting on masks and being someone else – to the point that it feels like very, very few people truly have a sense of the real me.… More...

Perspective

On Thursday, June 10th at 6:53am the moon was new again, coinciding with the solar eclipse, and closing out last month’s focus of Evolution. In that post I had said that the innate ability to redeem ourselves and do better, to enact an adaptation and propagate it forward in our time-stream, is how we Evolve. 

For reasons I cannot fully explain, I have not found myself able to Evolve any closer to publishing these notes on the day of the New Moon. I have known for weeks what this theme would be, but the words escaped me. Perhaps in time. Perhaps all things in time.

The focus on personal Evolution caused me to reflect on some moments in my life, as I drew the path from where I was to where I am.… More...

Evolution

Last Tuesday at 3pm the moon was new again, and it looks like I’m actually going to get this one posted before a full week elapses. Progress!

Last month’s focus was on Well-being – not just a recap of my efforts to get my physical Well-being into shape (pun intended), but with an eye toward my metaphysical well-being too. All wrapped in an effort to “be” well. The physical side keeps progressing – continuing to monitor the diet and exercise, leveraging my OCD superpower to dig into all of the metrics. It’s good not only to be able to see changes, but note cause and effect too. Internally I’m starting to get some sense of balance back and have become a bit more self-motivated again.… More...

Well-being

At 10:31pm on Sunday, April 11th, the moon was New again. Almost two weeks ago now, but the theme for that cycle was Time – and last month I was also two weeks into the cycle before the announcement came – so really, I’m right on schedule. Perspective counts for a lot.

The theme of Time was particularly poignant – but I carry forward the fact that every moment counts, and redemption or salvation can be on our next breath.

The theme for this month saw its inception in one such moment. It was late February when I was gently called to be mindful of the sugar I was putting into my coffee.

Those of you who have been following along for the past year know that I’ve been struggling with weight, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels.… More...

Time

At 5:12am on Saturday, March 13th, the Moon was New. Now, we’re nearly half way through the cycle and I haven’t announced what this month’s intention is yet.

Am I late? No – and such is my lesson this cycle. Everything happens in its own Time. It might not be the Time we expect, or the Time we want, but it happens when it is designed to.

Last month’s theme was about Acceptance. It focused a lot on my being Accepted by others, relating a story from my high school years that underscored a sense of being somewhat ostracized – which ended up being far more of a blessing than a curse. In many ways, that set the stage for this cycle.… More...

Acceptance

Last Tuesday afternoon the moon was new and the time had come to complete the past cycle and begin this one.

Last month I focused on Words – their audience, their intent, and their meaning. Words are at the core of my self-expression – I sit and think and craft what I’m going to say, mostly because I realized long ago that one of my two biggest fears is being misunderstood.

I was on the brink of using Words last Monday, and using them in a way that risked muddling the message I was trying to send. Someone had posted something on Facebook about an advance they’d made in their life and self-expression, and I was about to comment on a realization I had had several years before that prompted me to think similarly.… More...

Birthdays – 2021

My parents were born seven years and one day apart – my father was born on January 23, 1914; and my mother was born on January 24, 1921. So yes – this weekend, my mother would have turned 100, and my father 107.

Many of you know my siblings are older than I am – by enough that my contemporaries in the family are more often my nieces and nephews than my brothers and sisters. As a result of this, it was really rare for our parents and all five children to be together. Side note – the first time that all five siblings slept under the same roof was in 2013.

Twenty years ago, to celebrate our mother’s 80th birthday, we all decided to trek out to Hawaii to have a massive birthday party.… More...

Words

As Tuesday moved into Wednesday this week, at precisely midnight, the moon became New Again. It’s the first New Moon of 2021 and a time for new possibilities – and in this case, time to dig deeper into the work of these posts.

During this past cycle my focus was on the business of the end of the year – primarily Releasing that which did not serve me, and in doing so, welcoming either something new or the space to allow better things to grow.

One of the things I’ve wanted to Release from last year was fear and anxiety. The last few months of the year saw it consume me – all of it based on historical triggers that can’t be erased, just re-framed.… More...

Red Beans & Rice

Red Beans and Rice

This is perhaps the most universal recipe in the world since it's an easy, cheap source of protein and calories. You can cook endless variations of this recipe – for example, using fresh peas instead of cooked dried beans, using Indian spices such as cardamom, or adding other ingredients such as mixed vegetables. You can use any type of long grain rice you prefer.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Onion peeled and diced
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 4 cups cooked red or black kidney beans
  • ¼ cup white wine vinegar
  • 3 cups cooked long-grain rice warm
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Ground red pepper and chili powder

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a pan large enough to hold all ingredients.
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Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat (Swabian Potato Salad)

Taken from “The Daring Gourmet“.

Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat (Swabian Potato Salad)

This authentic German potato salad comes from the Swabia region of southern Germany where it remains one of the most popular and most delicious of all potato salads!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine German
Calories 284 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds small firm yellow-fleshed waxy potatoes (e.g. Yukon Gold) of similar size, skins scrubbed and peels left on
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 1 ½ cup water mixed with 4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules Vegans: use vegetable bouillon
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • Essig Ezzenz a few splashes (highly recommended for the best, authentic flavor)
  • ¾ tablespoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons mild German mustard If you can’t get it, use regular yellow mustard
  • cup neutral-tasting oil
  • Fresh chopped chives for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Boil the potatoes in their skins in lightly salted water until tender.
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