February 10, 2008 It Doesn’t Take a Lot

It doesn’t take a lot to wake me up when I’m awake and  I’ve forgotten who I am for the minute.  Like most of us I am surrounded by reminders – people and things; I just have to tune in, keep my eyes and ears open; pay attention to what I’m doing.  See with my real eyes.

I didn’t ‘do’ anything today and I’ve been filled with what my life’s about, its joy and wonder.  I moderated a board call of the Global Abundance Alliance (can’t possibly stay asleep with such extraordinary people with me on the phone).

Last night our children gave us a super birthday party – which I was reminded of by this great lunch of last night’s leftovers.

Then I finished editing a book I’m selling (Guide to a Fulfilled Life – just email me michael@michaellipp.com — It’s $12.95, but a Valentines Day special sends 3 copies for 30 bucks and includes a collection of my art and love poems.)

Then I made hummus and put up a chicken to roast, because Nancy is taking Diamond for a haircut…. and now I’m doing this and realizing this is one of the thisses that it doesn’t get any better than.  And I can re-read this so cynically, so “this is what’s so great?”

I’m reminded that we often start meals blessing God for our bread… because bread is so simple, so mundane, so meager that if we can bless God for that, imagine the rest of our life, the rest of Life!

And I remind me of my commitment to spiritual fulfillment, social justice and environmental sustainability.

December 17, 2007 The Difference a Day Makes

My newest grandson is almost 3 months old.  To him a day is more than 1% of his life.  He learns more in one day than we do in maybe a year.  He learns thorugh senses that we have bveen grown to mostly ignore, bypass or unlearn.  And to a large extent that will continue perhaps for several years.

Not only does he learn to be human, he also learns to be American and increasingly he learns how he fits in, how to interpret, how to get what he wants (very close to being born with that) -  But let’s put Cameron aside.

Our tendency is to lump days together, noting only minor differences.  We only pay attention to what we consider to be major events.– Songs tell us, What a Difference a Day Makes, but tha’ts usually a specific day.  We quickly get used to the mundane – and most of life is “the mundane.”  So I assert that that is where the action is, that is where the juice is.

A commitment is only lived when it is “the mundane” — Goals are reached when the reaching becoms mundane, with periodic non-mundane-stones, noticeable moments.  When we eat an orange, we throw away the mundane peel, only using it in certain recipes that call for using the zest.

November 23, 2007 But

Quick writing – I’m expecting 18 or 19 adults, together with 7 grand kids (I say 18 or 19, because Arthut is unquestionably an adult)

Anyhow, I’ve been musing on gratitude – it is the season for it… a shame that gratitude needs a season; it is so fundamental.  I speak my gratefulness every night.  Anyhow,for some rerason, I seized on one of the great things I got from Landmark Education (back when it was est – in 1978) – So simple, so profound.

 Turn your buts into ands.  But creates problems..  I had a great time, but…But makes everything that comes before it false or wrong…I love you, but…  But is an evil word.  It tends to put an excuse up front, softening the blow in advance…

Anyhow, I have to finish cooking and cleaning.  I love to cook and clean and it’s going to be hard to do today.  Happy next day, all.

November 5, 2007 Another Monday

It seems Mondays always start with a rush and the rest of the week catches up to it.  I meet with my Mastermind at noon; at 4 I’m meeting with old & new friends at teah Nimbus, then at 7:30 is my 5th Success Principles workshop.  And there’s stuff in between.

Since I work at home, the ins and outs of my day are different – I have no water cooler conversations or cubicle/office meetings.  I occupy myself with pet habits, occasional babysitting and I keep the house right for Nancy – I take my breaks cooking and cleaning.  All of that is my in-between; the first paragraph is my substance. 

Not quite – I write this, my other blogs and my weekly essays for my websites.  When I recite like this, I get the sense of the flow of my days.  I see busyness and no stress.  I am grateful for these Mondays of my life.  I love what I’m attracting.

October 28. 2007 – A Small Morning

After a week of vacation, the first Monday is very small– the time is packed in, every crook and nanny filled with old reminders and new tasks.  Sounds like complaining – Not.  Just reporting.

I had a weekend of asthma attacks.  As I’ve said, I treat this non-medically.  But I’ve continued to do what precipitates these bouts for too long.  Knowing how to deal with them is not smart when I continue to behave in ways that bring them on — sort of like yo yo dieting.

For me it’s actually very simple – I’ve always considered milk in my coffee to be “not drinking milk.”  This is an absurd self-deception. Milk and coffee mix terribly in the body.  The combination forms a sludge – really. And screws up the whold digestive system.  Now one of the things I do know is that my asthma (maybe all – but I don’t know) is precipitated by my reacxtions to food intake.  So duhh! Time  to have no milk, also limit my brerad intake severely.

It’s hard to let you know when nothing happens, so consider no more of these asthma fiascos as evidence.  If you’ve never thought along these lines, well – it’s a small Morning.

September 29, 2007 Tomatoes

It’s our day at the farm – Well, I’m not going – staying home to makedelicious and totally simple sauce.  The only hard part is skinning the tomatoes – hand-picked, organic plums.  Of course, this is the peak season and Nancy will come home with a delug, so cook the old, save the new.

The recipe originally came from Rao’s cook book.  They call for Marazano tomatoes.  Too bad.  Put 1.4 inch of top quality olive oil in your pot.  Saute a large onion until its clarified.  Then add as much garlic as you’re comfortable with.  Our farm has award winning garlics-  one clove is like three from a supermarket.  Put inas many tomatoes as you want.  Put in fresh basil, fresh oregano, about 4-5 Bay leaves.  I would add some hot peppers, but I’m sensitive to Nancy’s taste – so no hot peppers.

And let it cook for 90 minutes.  Voila!

September 2nd, 2007 Creative Lunch

I just finished lunch – which I enjoyed immensely. Immensely,   And I realized that with the possible exception of mayonaisse, I never even heard of anything I ate as little as five years ago…

OK, I swtched from Hellman’s to Canola Mayo longer than 5 years ago.  It was a totally,   simple meal – A tomato sandwich.. I had never heard of Heirloom tomatoes — It’s as if I never ate tomatoes before.  And soft, spreadable Goat Cheese,,, on Ezekiel Sprouted Wheat (with sesame seeds) Bread.   Who knew about this?  The Heirlooms came from an organic farm – a CSA. 

Try it.

August 11th, 2007 It’s all next week

A week from today our youngest daughter gets married and family is coming in from Germany, from Maine and from Massachsetts (we don’t count NY, NJ, & Pa.) And they start coming on Tuesday.

Today we took our 2 granddaughters to the organic farm – This is truly the bountiful part of the year.  Heritage Tomatoes (5 lbs) and 6lbs of regular NJ tomatoes AND 2 lbs of yellow or red cherry tomatoes plus peppers, hot peppers, 6 lbs of onions, many, many potatoes, beets, raspberries, watermelon + more

Now – we have to figure out how to store and divide the food.  Bruschetta – yes; Ratatouille, of course, … cole slaw?  maybe, Caesar Salad — Sure.  It’s not the kind of creation I trhink I write about, but I notice that food crops up (ho ho) often.  See you tomorrow.

July 28th, 2007 Cole Slaw

Sunday morning with no relaxing.  We’ve been living here for a little more than a year and when we first moved in we just stowed everything – unpacking, but not putting away.  Well, this weekend we finally did the kitchen.  Every surface was full so we could at least look at what needed to be packed, moved, or discarded..

And then Nancy had to leave for a meeting.  “Before I go, could you make cole slaw?”  Because we got cabbage and carrots from the farm yesterday.  The request meant that I had to unload & load the dishwasher and put away several surfaces worth of stuff, then get out the cuisinart …

But I learned how to make sugarless cole slaw some years ago from Elaine Fox, a dear friend, now gone, and everyone loves it so I thought I’d pass it on.  I never measure, I just taste and adjust.

Whiz up the cabbage and carrots.  When I have, I also include radishes, sometimes even green pepper – not today.  Now the secret ingredient.  Chop an onion so fine that it is almost liquid – Add mayonnaise (For vegans, use soyannaise).  The next secret ingredient is Balsamic vinegar -  This turns the slaw brown.  If this violates your esthetics, use white balsamic.   Today, because of the farm, I also added celantro and basil – Add much pepper, mix and you’re the hit of the party.