Jess and Kat

Daughter Jessica is now hard at work in Student Affairs
at the University Of Georgia. Meet her new dear
friend, Kat, pictured left!

Manual For Living - Epictetus

"First, say to yourself what you would be; then do what you have to do."

"Some things are within our control, and some things are not."

"Things and people are not what we wish them to be nor what they seem to be. They are what they are."

"Conduct yourself in accordance with the laws of nature."

"We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can choose how we respond to them."

"The important thing is to take great care with what you have while the world lets you have it."

"The surest sign of the higher life is serenity."

"Wherever you find yourself and in whatever circumstances, give an impeccable performance."

"Content yourself with being a lover of wisdom, a seeker of the truth. Return and return again to what is essential and worthy.

"You will never earn the same rewards as others without employing the same methods and investment of time as they do."

"...reconsider who you associate with."

"Once you know who you are...you will know what to do."

"What is the right thing to do now?"

"It is our duty to stand by our friends in their hour of need."



Excerpted from "The Art Of Living" by Epictetus as interpreted by Sharon Lebell. The Manual For Living consists of essays 1-79 in the book.

Scenes From Maui

Nick's Baked Chiken & Vegetable Rigatoni

Nick, our nephew, and Katie, Doug's mom, are arriving this afternoon from LAX. I prepared a make ahead dish so we could attend to our reunion and getting Katie settled in to her home without the extra work of making dinner later in the day.

This is one of those dishes devised by looking in the fridge and coming up with something that utilizes what one has on hand. The plethora of vegetables and minimal sauce were selected with Nick in mind.

Nick's Baked Chicken & Vegetable Rigatoni
Serves 4 - 6

2 cups Rigatoni, medium size, cooked and drained
1 tbs olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1/2 lg onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable medley, cut into chunks,
such as red bell pepper, broccoli, yellow squash and zucchini
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes in juices or 1 pt cherry tomatoes
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 tbs basil, chopped
salt and pepper
1/4-1/2 cup prepared Marinara sauce
optional: dash of cream
1/4 bread crumbs
1/4 grated Parmesan
1 tbs butter

Preheat oven to 400.
Heat saute pan and put in olive oil. Add onions and bell pepper, cooking until onions soften. Add garlic, zucchini and squash, sauteing 2-3 min. Add the broccoli and saute until color changes. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella, parsley, basil and salt and pepper. Add rigatoni and marinara sauce. Stir together Parmesan and bread crumbs
Use non stick spray or butter to prepare 9 x 12 baking dish. Pour in rigatoni, chicken and vegetable mixture. Sprinkle on Parmesan crumb mixture and place pats of butter atop dish. Bake until top is golden brown, 30-40 minutes.

Mexican-Style Farmer's Soup with Scott Hitt

Scott came for a visit this weekend. We had a long overdue catch up. Scott and I were introduced almost twenty years ago at a J H Enterprises/ Paul Mitchell event. We became friendly as Sales Consultant (him) and Educator (me). Later, Scott would become a business partner in three full service salons and real estate investments. He was also a valued employee of our company, La Carina Supercuts. He is family.

One can often find Scott in front of a big pot of something to feed many friends in Land-O-Lakes, FL. He taught me how to make a soup that he has been served by the cook on the ship he works on in the Gulf.

Mexican-Style Farmer's Soup
Serves 8

3 lbs Ground Sirlon

1 Lg Onion, diced

2 Bell Peppers, julienned

2 cans Rotelle Tomatoes w/ Green Chiles

2 lbs New Potatoes, halved

1 Pkg Frozen French Green Beans

1 bunch Cilantro, chopped

1 tbs Garlic Powder or 4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp Salt, or to taste

2 tsp Cumin, or to taste

Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

Cracked Black Pepper.

3 Qts Water or Beef Broth

Olive Oil for sauteing

Add olive oil to stock pot and brown ground beef. Drain meat. In same pot, saute onions and peppers until translucent. Return meat to pot and add fresh garlic if using. Add canned tomatoes, potatoes and broth or water. Bring to a boil and add seasoning. Simmer 10-15 min. Add green beans and cilantro and simmer until potatoes are soft and beans are to desired crispness. Adjust seasonings.
Serve with tortilla chips, sprinkled cilantro or splash of sherry vinegar.

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
Serves 4

2 Avocado ripened, halved and sliced
2 Grapefruit, segmented

Reserve grapefruit juice while segmenting. Coat avocado generously with juice. Arrange fruits on serving dish by alternating avocado slices with grapefruit segments. Oil, herb and seasonings may be added to juice to make vinaigrette. Pink grapefruit gives a more attractive contrast to the avocado, jicama makes a nice addition.

Come September

In my previous post, I AM MY CHOICES, I blogged about making difficult choices. I can now say my difficult choice was discontinue my employment relationship with Aida Zorilla at Studio A. I will fulfill my professional courtesy of giving notice tomorrow. I have been determined to cheerful, professional and maintain a standard of quality in my Pilates work at the studio.

In the space of a few weeks, I have found myself compelled to speak feelings that are overwhelming, recycle thoughts and events in my mind endlessly, becoming so distracted I have really not been available to friends, family or my loved ones, Doug and Jessica.

I began to think of this as a crisis. A small one though. I haven't lost perspective so much as to see that others are dealing with life threatening disease, financial reversals or difficult children and marriages and such. I am lucky to have close friends and associates who have lent me a sympathetic ear, words of wisdom and expressions of acceptance and love.

Our habits and principles help us attain the good life. In fact, the hard life is simply unbearable without routines that ensure we keep our head above water and principles to guides us when we can't find our way.

While I struggle to feel its simple joy, Doug is still there with a lovingly brewed latte each morning. The pleasure in Jessica's voice as she reports on her new adventures in Athens and at Uof GA bring me delight. The rhythmic Percussive Breath has grounded me and my work as a Pilates teacher hasn't ceased to uplift me. Syd Banks' principles of Mind, Thought and Consciousness are there for me as I seek my happiness. My books are within my grasp so that I may find guidance and direction.

One lesson in this is discovering anew how much my friends mean to me. And what I mean to them. So many have extended themselves and strove to help me restore my confidence and a good life. My teacher, Pat, has listened and kept me strong. Rende wrote that I was valuable on a day when that was the furtherest thing that I could believe. Rende's mom prayed for me. Dana reminded me that it boiled down to my "feelings got hurt." Sherri, Rende and Mary wrote me poems. Michael reminded me we were talented and to just let it work itself out. Lisa assured me I could succeed. Frank, Maggie, Suzan and Paul cooked me a meal and celebrated me when it counted. Jean spoke of my uniqueness, how places are a bit brighter when I am around and I am welcome. Shelly and Heather checked in to see how I was doing. Curt says things will get better and I am loved. Anita helped me start a new endeavor. Alexandra pressed me to stay true to me. And Glen, the man who put me on my Pilates path, made me laugh and echoed that the right thing to do is stay with your teacher. Doug Bell has listened, held and loved me through it all. I don't find myself feeling weak very often. But that is the truth at the moment. And all these people and more have kept me tethered and marching forward. I am grateful.

I am still seeking comfort in Alexandra's You Are Your Choices. Chapters such as Your Choices Count Most In A Crisis, Enough Is Enough, Move On, Walk Away, Surround Yourself With People You Trust, Trust Your Subjective Well Being speak to me now.

I am sure that, as people like Glen, Michael and Curt have encouraged, I will come out of this stronger and better. It is only an uncomfortable change of circumstances. I will be able to regain my happiness.

I am taking the next couple of weeks to just rest and restore. I am going to sweat my frustrations and stress out in Bikram Yoga and NIA classes. I am going to enjoy the company of our visiting friends: Scott Hitt, this weekend and Harry and Jean-ne Dent, the 24th. I am likely to go back to the source of my love of Pilates; The Pilates Center Of Naples with Glen, Amy, Jill and Debra to help me get back to what this is all really about.

So Come September, I will:

• Start on a new course of study with Pat Guyton at her Pilates Conservatory
• Take a girls trip to NYC to Real Pilates NYC for some fun and a workshop
• Market my new Pilates For Stylists series
• Celebrate my daughter's 25th birthday.
  
• Attend a Tony Bennett concert
• Participate in a Unity Service conducted by friend, Susan Hawkins Sager
  
• Consider my next steps as a Pilates professional

"I laugh at those who think they can damage me. They do not know who I am, they do not know what I think, they cannot even touch the things which are really mine and with which I live." - Epictetus

"We should know what our convictions are, and stand for them." -Carl Jung

"When people reveal who they are, believe them. The first time." - Maya Angelou