Snow and Soup

Green Veggie Soup by my window

I have the opportunity to work from home today, and enjoying looking out the window at the beautiful snow instead of at a bookcase today. Also, looking forward to making some yummy soup that feeds the body and soul. I decided on two different soups - one is split pea and the other is green veggie, both vegetarian. They should be ready by lunchtime. As Ina Garten would say - how good is that?

MB's Green Veggie Soup

1 yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut in ½ inch ½ rounds

1 cup mushrooms sliced

¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms (if you want)

2 cups baby spinach

2 cups shredded cabbage

¼ cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro, if you want

1 15 oz can cannellini beans

1 cup Morningstar farm crumblers (if you want)

8 cups water

Salt, pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

Saute onion and zucchini in olive oil, add and wilt cabbage (about 10 minutes), then add spinach, parsley or cilantro and mushrooms. Stir and add water, beans and crumblers. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer (probably low) Add porcini mushrooms, salt and pepper. Simmer on low with top on for about 1 hour or so, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings. Serve with crusty bread or add a couple of cut up cooked shrimp to your soup bowl before adding soup, if you want more protein.

Newport Folk Festival 2010

It's coming! Strap in.....

Flow! from Abraham

"When you are really in the flow with your Inner Being, ideas come easily—they are implemented easily. It's fun while you are in the process of them, and it doesn't matter how they unfold; and nothing can go wrong, and it doesn't matter if you don't get it done, it's just fun to do it. Your Inner Being feels no limit. So, anything that feels like limits is something that you have self-imposed.

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in Sacramento, CA on Saturday, March 15th, 2003 #326

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther"

Oprah again?

Whether you love her or have had enough of her, this particular campaign is something I can believe in.

In a recent web piece ( January 18 http://www.oprah.com/questionaire/ipledge.html?id=4 ) Oprah is asking us not to use the phone or text while driving. It is so tempting to multitask, but the statistics on phone related auto accidents are too much to ignore. I am actually going to make that pledge today.

I’m not the type to advocate for legislation to get us to do or not do much of anything, but if we all just stop, there won’t be a need for legislation, right?

MADD’s website was quoted “Twenty-eight percent of traffic accidents occur when people talk on cellphones or send text messages while driving, according to a study released Tuesday by the National Safety Council. The vast majority of those crashes, 1.4 million annually, are caused by cellphone conversations, and 200,000 are blamed on text messaging, according to the report from the council, a nonprofit group recognized by congressional charter as a leader on safety.” http://blogs.ajc.com/cynthia-tucker/2010/01/13/madd-about-texting-while-driving/?cxntfid=blogs_cynthia_tucker

During the Valentine’s season, arrive alive. We love you!

Laptop is up and running!

Just a brief update. Due to the good folks in IT at CW, my laptop is now up and running again. There are a number of things i need to do in order to insure its future health, but, for now, my buddy the Dell Latitude is still alive. Thanks, guys!

My laptop crashed today

Giant sob! My laptop crashed this afternoon. I am borrowing a computer from our IT group, but am in shock. I am one of those people who should have backed up their info but has not. Send a little good thought toward me and my computer, and all of my materials.

Meantime, to lift my spirits, I'm embedding my favorite YouTube, The Tree. I'm going back to the holidays when my computer was fine, and wishing it back to full and complete health!

All the little stuff

My desk piles up with, well, stuff. All the stuff that needs to be done for my daughters, my work, our home, myself, the dogs, everything, just ends up on my desk. The birthday chocolates from Valerie sit there, for my constant consideration. The photos of my children, my nieces and nephews, surround me. The rebate forms that need to be sent, the paperwork my lawyer advised has to get done, the undone bill, the uncredited payment verification, the plans for this summer, all of this sits on my desk. Photos, Purel, a Christmas gift to use, a favorite phrase from a dear client, "forgiveness is letting go of the hope of a better past" hangs from my lamp for me to absorb every day. The Christmas cards that arrived too late for me to respond, and the Bing Crosby cds from my father, right here, next to a speech from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and prayer cards of the Blessed Mother, Saint Francis and Jesus, in infant of Prague form. A gift certificate to a favorite spa sits unused, so far! That's the top layer.

Wish me luck getting through it all.

Happy New Year - Yo - Hold on!

Life is careening, but it doesn't feel out of control. It reminds my of one of my favorite songs, Chestnut Mare by Roger McGuinn and Jacques Levy; "she jumps off the edge, me holding on". Hope this year you can hold on and enjoy the ride! Blessings and love in 2010!