WELLESLEY'S SUNDAY FUNNY

Wellesely's* SUNDAY FUNNY is our weekly comic strip.

* Click here to meet Wellesley(MOM's Mascot).

ODE to AUTUMN

Oh autumn, sweet autumn what a sight to behold as I sit, sipping a cup of tea, watching the last of your orange, red, and golden brown leaves swirling off their branches. Dancing their last hoorah one with the wind as they gently land on the ground beneath. Blanketing Mother Earth, her seeds, bulbs and feeding them nutrition for the coming colder months. The park across the street almost has that wintry look of bare limbs... reminding us that energies are shifting inwards as we stay warm and contemplative in our home-caves. Thank-you Mother for your visual gifts of wisdom. MOM

TODAY'S MENU SPECIAL

Hearty, Lentil~Vegetable Soup

Serves 8 (Freeze half of soup to have on-hand)

4 tablespoons extra-virgin, cold pressed olive oil

2 cups chopped sweet onions

1 1/2 cups celery stalks

3-4 chopped garlic cloves

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/2 cup shitake mushrooms/optional

1 1/3 cups lentils, rinsed/drained

1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 large bay leaf

6-8 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 cup plain greek yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add, onions, celery, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms and garlic. Saute until vegetables are soft (10-15 minutes).

Add broth, tomatoes with liquid and lentils and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover an simmer until lentils are soft; about 35- 40 minutes.

Soup can be served chunky or pureed in a blender. If too thick add more vegetable broth.

OR served on brown rice, with a salad as a main course.

Garnish with a tablespoon of yogurt and parsley sprinkled on top.

Salt and pepper to taste

Click here for info on lentils and nutritional benefits

MMM, TASTY LITTLE NUGGETS

When making a conscious shift in life, meditation creates a connection to one's internal, wise teacher. Intuition is a neon signpost pointing you in the right direction. MOM

MOM's Favorite Jukebox Selection

We offer an eclectic, musical mix at Mom's Cosmic Diner.

Here's one of my favorites. MOM

*Click here for Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang playing Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue

*** YOGA the State-of-Grace ***

*

Yoga's State-Of-Grace

through each decade...

20's opens the door to inner and outer flexibility

30's meditation and stress relief from busy life as working mom

40's as a teacher having a deeper understanding of yoga's gifts and passing on the knowledge

50's experiencing the pleasure of oiling the joints, massaging inner organs and being one with silence and peace

60's wonderment of stepping into wisdom years with state-of-grace 

MOM

Click here to see where Stephanie aka Mom teaches in Portland, OR

Wellesley's SUNDAY FUNNIES

TODAY'S MENU SPECIAL

Mellow Yellow Squash Soup

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large sweet onions~chopped

8 yellow squash~chopped

1 leek~chopped

7 garlic cloves~chopped

5 sprigs lemon thyme

6 cups low/sodium-free chicken broth or vegetable broth

1/2 - 1 tsp. Celtic salt to taste

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Goat Gouda cheese shaved, pine-nuts and chopped parsley for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil~medium heat.

Add onions, leek and cook; stirring until onions are translucent and soft.

Add squash and leaves of lemon thyme~cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high; add broth, salt and garlic.

Cook with partially covered pot at low boil for 25 minutes until the squash is soft.

Allow soup to cool and puree in covered blender; return to pot and heat.

Add lemon juice.

Garnish with cheese, pine-nuts and parsley.

Makes 8 cups

THE NOSE KNOWS

Now that we're in Autumn and have less daylight we may be experiencing S.A.D. ~ Seasonal Affective Disorder. Aromatherapy is a non-intrusive way to help fine-tune and elevate our state-of-mind.

The limbic system is the oldest part of the brain and is directly wired to our emotions. Essential Oils used in Aromatherapy are unlike chemical drugs. They don't remain in the body nor leave toxins behind.

Essential Oils are a natural aromatic liquid extracted from flowers, fruits, roots, leaves and grasses. Every oil has diverse uses…oils such as: jasmine, orange, ylang-ylang and rose have a tranquilizing effect. They work by altering brain waves into a rhythm of calmness and sense of well being.

Stimulating oils like: basil, black pepper, rosemary and cardamom produce a heightened energy response.

Peppermint oil is an anti-inflammatory. It’s also beneficial for rheumatism and arthritis. It even helps in relieving digestive discomfort.

You can use the essential oils with an air diffuser, a ceramic disc that’s placed on a light bulb and even in your bath. Lavender oil in a hot bath is a great way to soak away the day’s stress. Lavender oil when applied to canker sores or burns will accelerate the healing process.

Aromatherapy is an easy way to create radiant health for the rest of your life. Educate yourself on the properties of the oils by buying a book, experiment, have fun and remember, “Your nose knows!” MOM

*Most air freshners sold in supermarkets are made from chemicals; you can find essential oils in health food stores and online. They're concentrated all you need is 1-3 drops

GIVE me a J.S.I.T. and what do you have?

Many of my musings seem to gurgle up during my morning meditations. I refer to this as "clarity harvests." One morning as I was minding my breath and attempting to keep the vritties* away, I was aware of a soft thought in my head. (I need to have a commercial break here ~ as I assure you I'm not schizophrenic. I believe meditation gives the inner-self a direct connection to the mind.)

What I heard was... "If you want to do one thing in your life really well... let it be JOY. Be a J.S.I.T. ~ a Joyous Savant In Training."

As you can tell my insights are often light-hearted which makes me pay attention and want to explore the possibilities they offer.

Now being a joyful person is quite an interesting enterprise especially when living in this world with an endless daily supply of unexplainable wackiness. The first thing I decided as I explored this Joyful Path was not to have television channeling it's energy into my home. I thought and now know the chatter from the screen interferes with my peacefulness.

Then I started introducing myself to everyone I met as a J.S.I.T. and would describe the virtual, beannie cap topped with a propeller that I wore on my head. The spinner would actually spin wildly whenever I felt joy. It was a great learning tool for me to be more conscious of joyfulness.

I also know balance is important and that I need to feel and acknowledge my emotions but not allow them to cement me in.

So, the next time you pass a smiling person on the street don't be surprise if you feel a gentle breeze emanating from their head.

*Vritties are what my teacher Sri Swami Satchidananda described as the "constant stream of thoughts passing through the mind. The vritties are like a drunken, chattering monkey, bitten by a scorpion as it's driving the car." Swamiji was a major "J". Click here to meet Sri Swami Satchidananda.

The Alchemist’s Magic…Transmuting Mother’s Energy

Fall is a time to compress our energies by eliminating the unnecessary and extraneous. It's the season of flexibility and adaptability, which are crucial for staying healthy, and balanced during the colder more contracted winter months.

We can prepare for the challenges by:

~ Completing unfinished projects.

~ Communicate as we become mentally and emotionally ready for the darker, yin, winter months.

~ Setting aside extra food and fuel for the possibility of inclement weather.

~ Making our homes cozier and more inviting as we spend more time indoors.

Our ancestors realized the importance of canning, preserving and storing the fruits and vegetables from the fall harvest to sustain themselves as the earth laid fallow and the sunlight lessened. In the later months of Autumn we begin to honor this tradition and utilize Mother Earth’s energy by transmuting time spent as "inner nourishment" to release, reap and keep what works in our life. As the colder months approach we too, begin to hibernate and gather next year’s “spiritual, seeds” utilizing winter's energy to dream and gather next year’s “spiritual, seeds”, as we choose what we want to manifest in the coming new year.

Click here for a link to Leon Rosenblatt's website... he painted the "Man of Miracles" album cover 35 years ago.

STRAIGHTEN UP!!!

So here I am walking my walk, talking my talk, blogging my blog... yet, something is amiss. At the glorious age of sixty-two I need to pay more attention to my spine. And if you're younger than me please don't scroll away from this post. More than ever, younger people have bad posture from the hours spent sitting in front of the computer with the screen lower than eye level.

Our spinal column is the brain's direct and most efficient "information" expressway. Messages travel to the rest of the body as it maintains radiant health. When we have straight spines our chest cavity is opened and our internal organs are positioned correctly and can function to their optimum capacity. Consider the alternative; when the back is rounded the shoulders come forward, squeezing and constricting the inner organs.

Before I teach my yoga, tai chi and meditation classes, I always instruct my students on how to create perfect posture:

STANDING

* Toes and heals are aligned with ankles under hip bones.

* Weight sinking into heels as if standing in wet sand.

* Shoulders are comfortably hinged to the torso and arms are totally relaxed.

* Chin is level to ground and gently pushed back as if resting on a soft cloud.

* Eyes looking forward as you scan (not downward).

* Navel is pulled back and gently lifted upwards to create a lift through each vertebrae through top of head.

SEATED

* Toes and heals are aligned flat on floor with ankles under kneecaps.

* Shoulders are comfortably hinged to the torso and arms are totally relaxed.

* Chin is level to ground and gently pushed back as if resting on a soft cloud.

* Eyes looking forward as you scan (not downward).

* Navel is pulled back and gently lifted upwards to create a lift through each vertebrae through top of head. (Don't lean back into chair).

I have a theory... as we age we begin to "fold" forward into the fetal position. I don't know about you but I rather look at the heavens than at my feet.

By bringing this consciousness to the body and making corrections throughout the day will help you to STRAIGHTEN UP and FLY RIGHT!

Click here for background music as you correct your posture.

WELLESLEY'S SUNDAY FUNNY

MOM's Mascot, Wellesley likes to hang out by the front door to meet and greet our customers. He's lovingly referred to as "The Goodwill Ambassador."

Now that you met our guy... scroll on down for Wellesley's SUNDAY FUNNY.

MAGICAL FRIENDS

My friend Alan owned Baskin in the Sun, a scuba diving company based in Tortola, BVI. He was a lovable, witty and profound character who lived life to it's fullest. Today I'm sharing his philosophical side. Enjoy. MOM

The Ten Commandments of Alan Baskin

1. So What!

2. Why Not?

3. To Be, or Not to Be

4. Absolute Honesty from a Loving Place

5. I Take Full Responsibility

6. When You Give it Up... You Get it All

7. When in Doubt, Throw it Out

8. Forgive Everyone

9. Love, Without Conditions

10. Be Like a Kid in a Candy Store

MOM's Favorite Juke Box Selection

We offer an eclectic, musical mix at Mom's Cosmic Diner.

Here's one of my favorites. MOM

Marvin Pontiac's Small Car.

Click here for musical link

A is for ATTITUDE

In my Mind Over Matters Workshop I teach many techniques on how to achieve a balanced, happier and creative life. One of my golden rules is "The only real control we have in our life is our attitude".

SO, the next time that negative inner voice says "NO" just spin those two letters around to... "I'm ON it!" MOM

*Click here for more info on Mind Over Matters Workshop

Mmm, TASTY LITTLE NUGGETS

When making a conscious shift in life, meditation creates a connection to one's internal, wise teacher. Intuition is a neon signpost pointing you in the right direction.

InTERNAL YOUTH

"To be, or not to be: that is the question..." Shakespeare

It seems to me society is offering us various methods to be outwardly, "forever youthful." My personal lifetime quest is creating "inner-youth." I use the term quest since I began this journey in my early twenties. It's not a quick-fix it's a lifestyle.

Aging is a natural by-product of living. However, one has many choices on how to "engage with age." Honoring the body with a healthy balanced diet, exercise, introspection, positive attitude, mindfulness and inner, spiritual growth is the path I'm most familiar with. 

I've decided to age naturally and it helps to have a sense-of-humor attached to this decision. For example, embracing the changes in my body. Knowing my face is telling a story of the days spent on earth, as I learn to appreciate those "smile- lines" around the mouth and eyes. 

Living life on my own terms in small ways also helps. When I moved to California and applied for my driver's license, I had to place a check-mark next to hair color. The description they offered was grey. I quickly crossed out that drab, mundane label and wrote silver. I adore my hair color. Silver is full of sparkling light. I don't perceive it as being negative nor lackluster. I see it as light energy, like an aura surrounding my face. The list goes on. 

As long as I have a youthful gait, can continue to teach, engage with people socially, be aware of on-going spiritual lessons and maintain a healthy lifestyle... I'll count my blessings and will honor the aging process as a means to attain the status of a wise-woman.

TODAY'S MENU SPECIAL

GARLIC HUMMUS...

1/2 cup tahini butter           

1    cup cooked chickpea/     

      or 1 can                       

1    tablespoon lemon juice   

2    parsley stalks diced

2    garlic cloves*

1/8  cup umeboshi vinegar 

1     teaspoon Bragg's Amino Acids

pinch cayenne pepper

Combine all the above ingredients in food processor or blender until creamy.

Serve with cut veggies, favorite bread/crackers, or Nam heated in toaster oven is yummy.

* MOM's garlic story...

As a 19 year-old newlywed one of the first recipes I prepared for Leon, my husband was linguini and clam sauce.

Now here's a little background on what I ate as a child. My mother only used dried herbs for seasoning. So I never met garlic. I only knew about garlic powder. Now that we're on the same page let me continue... linguini and clam sauce's recipe called for 2 cloves of garlic. So, I trotted on down to the local, grocery store, went to the produce man and asked where I could find garlic. He pointed to a refrigerated shelf to my left. I took "two garlics" and went home to prep.

It took me a long time to peel away the papery layers and I began to mince the "two garlics" which transmuted into lots of small, half-moons. 

It was interesting sitting across from Leon that evening as he tasted the first forkful. His face turned red and he started weeping. Being a bewildered newlywed he managed to sputter "amazing"!

And now you know the rest of the story.