The stars align..

As Jupiter and Saturn were going conjunct in the sky I made some new friends. All my socializing has pretty much been one on one this year, I had nearly forgotten what it feels like to gather - and with people who aren’t my coworkers or neighbors no less. I quite liked it. My friend Jen created a gorgeous makeshift living room in her front yard. Complete with ample distanced seating, fire pit, an alcohol free bar and a record player. It was such a treat. I got to build a fire and that was so very satisfying. Everyone brought something to burn. A few people had written things down on scraps of paper that they wanted to let go of while others brought belongings that had negative memories attached to them and we threw them in to banish them forever and keep the fire going through out the evening. We drank tea, shared some Seedlip and had a few laughs too. It was so good to see everyone - even though I had never seen most of them before. When I started this 365 days of breakfast project I had no idea what was coming or that I would become as isolated as I have. I saw myself inviting large groups of friends over for brunch on the weekends or trying out every Eggs Benedict in Austin. Not in the cards. However, due to these options being off the table the way I eat has changed for the better. I can’t wait to see the depths of how it has changed the way I want to connect with others.

Day 328: a Solstice Sautee - sweet potato, celeriac, garlic, red cabbage, kale and mushrooms with a perfectly fried egg and some pumpkin seeds.

Another trip around the sun.

Yesterday was my 39th birthday and I got everything I wanted! I turned off my phone, took the day off from work, it rained, I felt loved and I got to spend the majority of the day wandering around the Blanton Art Museum. No party. No people. No party people. It was all very 2020. The show I saw was Expanding Abstraction - an exploration of how painting has evolved over time. The only way I could have enjoyed it more is if they had allowed me to bring my tea inside. A lot of really large wonderful pieces were in the show but the one I enjoyed the most really surprised me. I circled back around to it 3 or 4 times. I want to say it was nothing special but the scale and motion of it evoked this sense of surrender in me that I really enjoyed. I visited it a few times before I read the placard and found some synchronicity there. The title alone made me laugh, Tempesta. It is the Italian word for storm. I stood there thinking how in my life I have always seem to be drawn to the storm - being able to surrender to it is a new feeling. It also made me think of Temperance the movement, the definition of the word itself (to abstain from alcohol) and the tarot card. Which Temperance is the card that represents Sagittarius, my zodiac sign. All these little synchronicities made me feel like I was right where I was supposed to be. Funny enough the artist, Beverly Pepper, got disenchanted with this painting and took a few years to finish it. Apparently after a trip to Ankor Wat in Cambodia she felt that “it is utterly ridiculous to try to make waves with painting.” that it reaches too small an audience and may only wake a small group of people… and so she moved on to sculpture instead. I have done this. I have known that feeling before with the things I have put my energy into. Maybe not getting the response or finding the reach I had hoped for. The numbers may not matter though. It could be more about the the depth in which you effect even one person. It could change them, make them feel seen or beautifully insignificant. Or perhaps it could set them on a different course, solidify the one they are on or maybe just be the highlight of someone’s birthday. Either way, I’m glad she chose to finish Tempesta and I got to cross paths with it.

When I got home it started to drizzle snd when I opened the door I found that my friend Larissa had stopped by and left some presents on my kitchen table. Homemade pickles, incense, a gorgeous feather, flowers and a tiny chantilly cake with a single yellow candle sunk into the center. She is wonderful. In the land of cakes - Chantilly is Queen. It is exactly what I would have picked for myself. Thinking it would be a cake-less birthday I had already made myself pancakes but there are no rules that say you can not begin and end your birthday with cake…

Day 325: Brown butter and banana pancakes with more bananas, blueberries, pecans and a little maple syrup.

Day 324: Roasted sweet potato with a little Greek yogurt, bacon, sautéed carrots, garlic and kale. Garnished with pumpkin seeds and blueberries.

IF I ever had a diner or a little breakfast spot - I would put this on the menu. I might veganize it and with some cashew yogurt and swap the bacon for some marinated mushrooms. Either way, it was just so good.

What is new and good?

A new week and time for another round of what is new and good! Well today is a new moon and we have a solar eclipse (although it isn’t visible in these parts). I personally enjoy a new moon more than a full moon. The night is extra dark, you can see more stars and I feel like I always sleep really well. New moons are a good time to set intentions, start new projects, pick up new habits. Every month on the new moon I spend some time cleaning the house and my car. Once everything just the way I like it I smudge the house with some Sage, verifier, sweet grass or Palo santo to clear the energy. Then I spend some time thinking about what is ahead. The ways I want to grow in the coming weeks, the things and opportunity I want to see show up in my life and I imagine what it will feel like when they do. I usually journal all of this and I leave my door open while I do - to symbolically invite them in. May seem superstitious or woo-y but I’m like that. I feel it makes life more fun. This new moon is in Sagittarius which is my sign. I am feeling pretty open to the possibilities right now. Do you pay attention to the cycles of the moon?

Day 321: Yogurt with a coconut cream, turmeric and date sauce (a recipe I am testing to share here) a bit-o-banana, pumpkin seeds, pecans and pomegranate.

Tea & Tarot

I was drawing some cards for a client this morning and thought I would pull a few as a message for today’s post. The four of cups and the seven of pentacles popped out. The imagery of the four of cups in nearly every deck has always hit me as an attempt to tempt. Although I haven’t heard other readers way read it that way. It is an offering followed by rejection. The person in the image never accepts the cup. This card comes with a message of boredom, dissatisfaction and at times an unwillingness to see the opportunity in a situation. The seven of pentacles on the other hand, speaks to investment, persistence, patience and sustainability. Here together my intuition tells me that the message is to hold out for what is yours. If you have planted the seeds They will eventually bloom. It also tells me that if you need help don’t fail to notice when it is offered or be too proud to take it. That is something I know I could improve on. I always want to do everything myself. Requiring help has been known to freak me out. If you can relate - this message is for you.

I love the tarot. I picked it back up in sobriety. It has been such a great tool for getting back in touch with my intuition. I have a cup of tea and pull cards at least once a week for myself or friends and clients who want a little guidance or just an energy read. Today I am having my daily cup of adrenal support tea. It has been such a big help in managing the stress of this year and remaining patient with everything that has happened. Huge fan. I mail it to friends, gift it to clients and recommend it to customers at the herb bar any chance I get.

Day 295: Kale, garlic, serrano and potato hash with left over strip steak and an egg fried in ghee with some rad herby green sauce on top. Sort of a remix from last nights dinner.. I had an ex-coworker over. I cooked us a steak with a bunch of sautéed veg and a mini cheese board with apples, seedy mustard, herbed chèvre and a sharp aged cheddar. She brought me some honey from her bees (so very cool) and a selection of coconut milk ice creams from Thai fresh. Huzzah! I tried the honey lavender and the Thai basil.. I can not tell you which I liked better. Both were perfectly sweet, bright and gentle. Such a treat.

Stretching through the storm..

I skipped yoga this morning. I wanted to wait for the rain. My front door opens up to an empty yard. I can throw my mat down in the doorway and stretch out alone. Watch the world have it’s bath. Everyone can keep their yoga with a twist. Be it goat yoga or death metal yoga or my least favorite… beer yoga*. I’ll take mine straight up with a splash of rain when I can get it. Once upon a time I had decided to go to a “naked on top of a sky scraper” yoga class in manhattan but I stayed out all night drinking tequila and throwing darts with a bunch of Danes instead. I guess you could say I missed the elevator. I was so optimistic in my twenties. Part of me honestly believed I could do both things. Maybe that is what growing up is.. learning which limitations are worth pushing past and that whole filing taxes business. They say it will rain for days. I am going to leave my mat in front of the door in hopes that they’re right this time.

Day 134: Sautéed kale, peppers, tart apples and mushrooms with quinoa, avocado, tahini and herbed yogurt. Pomegranate and blackberry juice on the side. I snacked on the worlds most perfect mango while I prepped breakfast. Heaven.

*I don’t mean to trash talk anyone’s good time. Everyone should do what feels right for them. Personally I just feel that adding a pint to your yoga practice defeats the purpose.