Turning The Page

Christmas Day, Doug and I spent a couple of hours initiating our 2009 calendars. Opening our new books to each month, we shared commitments we each had as well as opportunities we hope to take advantage of. Our minister speaks of this time as the "in between point", our "being pinned down between two places", the outgoing and incoming year. We are all figuratively and literally turning the page.

Those of us in the west turn the pages of a new calender on January 1. This date was part of reforms made by Julius Caesar, becoming known as the Julian calendar, and was maintained with the Gregorian calendar - the one we use today. In Caesar's time, the Romans worshiped Janus, deity of doors, doorways, gates, beginnings and endings. Janus symbolizes changes and transitions and is associated with resolutions. Janus is depicted as having two faces, able to see into the past with one face and into the future with the other. January emanates from his name.

In today's time, we do not offer Janus sacrificial honey to "ensure that the future would be sweet" with good fortune. Rev. Tudor does suggest we turn back through the pages of our calendars before heading into our new ones. Who were the people we met, what places have we been to, what has changed, what did we worry about, what did we hope for and how did things turn out?

What's most noticeable in my own calendar is how many more Pilates clients I have AND where I conduct business. There are accomplishments such as passing my profession's national certification and disappointments such as not as many visits with my daughter as in years past. There are bright spots such as our Valentine's celebration, the weekend I spent in Charleston with girlfriends and my activities as a Lululemon Athletica Ambassador. It is apparent that I am attuned to my health, indicated in the massage, check ups and routine visits to alternative health practitioners. This time last year, I was sure I would be a guest teacher at Cascina Papaveri, where they host Pilates and Cookery Vacations. Things didn't pan out.

Rev. Tudor asks that, upon looking back on where we've been, we give thought to what we will take with us and what we will leave behind as we proceed into the new year. When we take the time to remember and reflect on our recent past, we give our selves the chance to reevaluate things. After all, we are becoming more of who we already are, on the spiritual realm at least.

I bought my spanking new calendar a few weeks before Doug and I had our "meeting" on Christmas. I must reveal that fresh, untouched calendars are a bit invigorating to me. It reminds me of the same feelings I used to get just before the start of a school year when I got my supplies. You can just sense opportunity for making improvements and meeting challenges within the crisp, clean sheets of paper. A virgin calendar is filled with promise; places to go, ceremonies to participate in, events to be apart of, elaborate celebrations or simple gatherings to mark special occasions, good works to be done. My filled-to-the-brim calendar gets filed away; sometimes for record keeping, sometimes to come across in a year or several to revisit that time and place.

New years are like containers to Rev. Tudor. "...new container. The old one doesn't hold us any more." She encourages us to step into the open, unscheduled future that is fresh with opportunity. We are are at a touchstone. Dr. Phil has said: "Your life is either going to be better or worse this time next year. It will not be the same. You'll either be happier or unhappier, thinner or fatter, wealthier or poorer...". I'm thinking I'd better take a look back now before I proceed in turning the page.



"Are you doing today what you want to? Or, are you just doing the same thing as yesterday?"
- Dr Phil McGraw

“Things can always get worse or better. We are all moving on, letting go of what’s over.”
- Alexandra Stoddard

"Always have a place to go." - Robert Fritz

"Life is lived forward. Life is understood backwards." - Katie McGill
inspired by Søren Kierkegaard

"Go forward and be all that you can be." - Karen Tudor

"He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." - Luke 4:16-21

Christmas '08

Merry Christmas 2008

Come Into Your Own In 2009

Come Into Your Own in 2009 is the latest teleclass with author, international speaker and life coach Victoria Moran. Each Tuesday night in January, Victoria will be leading classes on topics such as Clarify Your Vision, Purify your Vehicle, Amplify Your Abundance and Intensify Your Impact. There will be bonus, follow up classes through out the year to help you stay on target.

Ages ago, I happened upon a small book that would have great meaning for me. It's title was Creating A Charmed Life, it's author, Victoria Moran.

Books that are basically a collection of essays are everywhere today but not so much so in those days. This easy-to-read compilation of 75 chapters was an invaluable source for me as I set about inventing my authentic life in my 30s. One chapter, Do The Next Indicated Thing, was so significant to me I had the quote printed on my business cards as a frequent reminder to do just that.

Victoria and I know each other now. I am excitedly awaiting the new Charming volume coming this April. I can attest to Victoria's ability to teach, enabling us to make the real changes we need to live the lives we want. I hope you will check out her teleclass this January or the new book this spring.

Visit Victoria's website, www.victoriamoran.com for more details on the classes or background. For more info or to enroll, email charmedassistant@aol.com with your address, telephones day and night, mobile phone and payment preferences. The class is $395.

Mayan Hot Chocolate

A steaming cup of hot chocolate, revved up with espresso, cinnamon and a splash of Kahlua, was exactly what I wanted after spending the morning in San Antonio's blistery weather.

6 oz milk or milk substitute
1.5 - 2 oz hot espresso
1.5 oz or 1 tablet Ibarra chocolate disc/tablet, chopped
Optional: splash of Kahlua or Cinnamon Scnapps

Place milk in saucepan. Once milk begins to heat, add chocolate. Stir with whisk until chocolate dissolves and milk is about to boil. Pour espresso and hot chocolate mixture into cup. Serve immediately.

Christmas Card Tradition

Purchasing, preparing, addressing and mailing Christmas cards can be burdensome. For some reason, I did not find the tasks so this year. I actually looked forward to getting them out this year.

Doug was an equal partner in the project. He got our list together, sealed and stamped (no small feat with over 200 sent) and I addressed and signed. We used the long drive to Houston and back to get them done in one sitting. I even sent an additional 40 to my clients and business associates.

It is not just our sending our cards this year that is different but our receiving of them as well. We open them together and have been charmed to be remembered with a card by everyone. I can't help but wondering if our simplistic approach to this year's holiday and gift giving hasn't left more room to truly enjoy the season.

A few interesting facts about Christmas cards:

• The tradition as we know it (commercially printed and posted cards) began in 1843.
  
• The first Christmas card inscription read: "Merry Christmas and a happy New Year."
  
• The word Merry in the inscription means blessed.
  
• Early Christmas cards depicted images and designs that spoke to the coming spring versus the winter, religious or secular scenes we are accustomed to.
  
• Technology has taken its toll and Christmas cards received by Americans continues to drop. E-cards are now preferred by the busy, the younger generation and greenies.
  

Our card contained the greeting, "Merry Christmas" and a collage of photos from 2008.

1. Jessica and Carolyn in Savannah, GA
2. Carolyn and Doug with the Prescuittis
3. Carolyn and Doug on their anniversary
4. Girls Trip in Charleston, SC
5. Doug manning the grill
6. Carolyn on the Lululemon Athletica photo shoot
7. Doug at the Reno Air Race
8. Pilates Mafia at the Lululemon trunk show
   
9. Carolyn in bio photo
10. Walkway in the Boboli Gardens, Florence
11. Table setting in Florence
12. Scene of the Ponte Vecchio, Florence
13. Michael, Martha and Natalie with Carolyn
    
14. Friends assembled for Doug's birthday
15. View of the Riverwalk, San Antonio
16. Angel at the San Jose Mission
17. Hats found on a motorcycle tour in the Hill Country
18. Carolyn performing SuperSlow around her 45th
19. News Cafe, South Beach
    
20. Yucca, South Beach
21. Texas Sage in the backyard

Redefine Christmas

In Jesus' short ministry, two things set him apart: love and charity. In that spirit, Doug and I have been moving away from a gift from everyone (who have storage bins and units to organize all their stuff) towards giving to charity at Christmas.

While we have already selected the charity we will give to, the Fisher House, I happened upon a site that lets you give in honor of others to their favorite charity, Redefine Christmas.

There is a page where you can make an email request for alerting family and friends to give to a charity in lieu of a gift for you.

If Christmas is only meaningful to you if you were hunting down gifts at the mall, wrapped them, packed them and shipped them, that's understandable. A dried soup mix, pound of coffee, bottle of champagne, bar of soap, jar of premium nuts or a holiday fragranced candle are top choices for remembering those you love and making sure the gift doesn't hang around to long, get regifted, sent to Goodwill or moved to the storage unit. You can always put a fiver in the red bucket whenever you come across a Salvation Army volunteer.

Christmas Tunes 2008

Saved by the salad

I confess - I ate more bread, sugar and butter than a Pilates teacher should own up to. Miraculously, I made it through the Thanksgiving holiday without adding any pounds. Still feeling a little sluggish (it was Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake I've been munching on nightly after all), I turned to a clean and simple entree salad for tonight's dinner.

White Bean And Tuna Salad
Giada De Laurentiss

Here I've assembled all the ingrediets: baby spinach/arugula mix, great nothern beans, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, capers, tuna in olive oil and reggiano cheese.

For a contrasting background, I selected white plates. Spread shredded radicchio atop the greens.

Doug's tomatoes are halved, mine are quartered.

Giada's recipe calls for a red onion. I've substituted a shallot because its milder.

Sprinkle on the capers.

Drain and rinse the beans. I substituted Great Northern for the
Cannelini because they are my favorite bean.

Frankly, I rarely eat tuna packed in water any more...the olive oil packed is so much more tasty. I halved the can between the two of us, oil and all.

Taking the tip of my knife, I chipped off irregular shaped pieces of reggianio off my hunk of cheese. The cheese is supposed to retain its flavor better this way. In this kind of salad, it makes sense to do so for appearance sake as well.

All that's left to do is add a bit more olive oil and (just so happen to have a bottle from the Newkirk's last visit to Italy) balsamic vinegar.

That's a mini panettone in the background, waiting to be made into Ina Garten's Panettone Bread Pudding. Panettone is Italy's version of fruit cake and it's been around since ancient Roman times. Like fruit cake, it makes its appearance from Christmas to New Year's. The Italians like theirs with hot chocolate or liquor such as Sambuca (also have a bottle from the Newkirks...everyone should have the Newkirks as friends). It is the holidays and I do a damnable amount of 100s.

I hope you will try Giada's salad post Thanksgiving. It is turkey free, full of healthy protein, reminds one of Italy and another portion can be packed for lunch the next day. The calories one saves can be spent on other things, such as panettone...

San Antonio Thanksgiving

I put Jessica on a plane this morning. We had a perfect holiday...just the three of us, no schedule, doing what moved us.

I spent the rest of my morning doing some internet Christmas shopping. We made modest purchases for the young people in our lives. Other than that, we will be honoring our far away family and friends with a donation to the Fisher House, homes built adjacent to military hospitals similar to the concept of the Ronald McDonald House. Last year, I put together pasta dinners and hummus appetizers for our local friends. I will likely do something like that again.

Jessica arrived Monday, and even though we had just a few plans, the short visit was a whirlwind. We had homemade meatloaf and spinach salad. On Tuesday, she and Doug picked me up from my studio and we headed down to the Riverwalk. We had dinner at Acenar. They have fresh lime margaritas and guacamole made table side. After dinner, we enjoyed a stroll along the Riverwalk, which has a lighting ceremony and carolers floating down the river starting this weekend. Definitely gets you in the holiday spirit.


Wednesday was more homework for Jessica and grocery shopping for Doug and me. We treated Doug to the action adventure, Transporter 3. It was such a challenge to have to sit through Jason Stratham without his shirt on. Dinner was at home, homemade potato soup and salad.

Thursday found us pretty proud of ourselves. Jessica recommended we only cook a turkey breast to cut down on the prep and cooking time. And the rest of our menu was minimal. It was also her idea to go to the movies before dinner, when we usually go after along with the rest of San Antonio. We had a hearty breakfast of a sausage strata and sweet potato biscuits and watch the Macy's parade. We went to a noon viewing of Four Christmases. We enjoyed belly laughs while we watched the painful, dysfunctional relationships on screen. Upon returning home, I cut a basket full of rosemary from the backyard and stuffed it, stem and all, under the turkey's skin with whole garlic cloves. We roasted the breast (and a few legs), made broccoli gratin, stuffing and a pumpkin gooey butter cake. Before dinner, it was Pom-Cranberry Bellinis (Giada's recipe) under R Muhl's beautiful art and shared our dreams for the new year. We said a prayer of thanksgiving and remembered our soldiers. After dinner, we had the cake together in bed, watching recorded episodes of Law and Order (Jessica's all time favorite) and Criminal Minds (all our new favorite).

Doug and I spent the rest of the day quietly, just the two of us. We played a game of Scrabble and watched our lastest nexflix, Expelled, No Intelligence Allowed. We've munched on leftovers. Tommorrow, it's back to the studio (thank goodness for Pilates) for me early in the am. Doug and I are grateful to have each other's company to look forward to for the rest of the evening.

Our holiday was uncomplicated. It is so easy to be with my immediate family. There is time to be all together. There is time for us to have one on one time with each other, which everyone recognizes the need for and makes space for. It is perfectly okay for someone to retreat to their room to study or take a nap, all without any fuss. Our food preferences are similar. Our political, religious and world views are close enough make a safe atmosphere but individual enough to spark engaging conversation. There is nice balance of being at home and having experiences outside our doors.

Like in Four Christmases, it can feel necessary to have a 'holiday survival plan" when we get around all the extended family. There's something about big groups of family getting together to help one forget how to behave. People forget to keep conversation polite, mind their manners or avoid imprisoning the company of others.

In my early twenties, I happened on a tactic that has now become a tradition to give me a bit of sanity. At some point on Thanksgiving, I would retreat from the madness to my Mom's room. Eventually, the kids would come looking for me. One day, I packed them up and took them to a movie. I got to get away from it all, do something nice for the kids and enjoy a couple of hours of peace while watching movie.

I couldn't imagine a Thanksgiving holiday without that movie all these years later. In the last few years, I have adopted the 5 Hour Rule, which is to disallow being in the company of others/the group for more than five hours at a time. In the last year, it has worked out that we've seen extended family outside of the holidays and focused on ourselves and the spirit of the occasion in ways that are most meaningful to us, without familial obligations or accomodations.

I had my picture perfect Thanksgiving. I hope you all did as well.

Belly Dancing Blissfully

As a teacher of the method of Pilates, it is my main form of exercise. I love the strength, flexibility and endurance I have gain from my study of Pilates. Yet, like most of us, I do not rely on it solely for my complete physical conditioning. I enjoy a Bikram yoga class as much as Doug does. I dedicated 6 mos to strength training with SuperSlow. Rather than grit-your -teeth gym or running regimens, I gravitate towards movement and dance: Andalusi dance, and NIA are great experiential workouts. I am coming to adore Belly Dancing, taught in San Antonio by Karen Barbee.


The Middle Eastern dance form has come along way since being introduced to westerners through the Orientalist artists and exhibitions at the world's fair. Martha Graham, mother of Modern Dance, was initiated into dance by dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis, who interpreted the dance of the orientals in ballet. Today, pop singers Aaliyah and Shakira have introduced forms of belly dancing to the masses. Chances are every community has a belly dance teacher in their area or a restaurant featuring belly dancers as evening entertainment.

Belly Dancing is an ancient ethnic folk dance form. Where belly dancing is native, men and women perform the dance at typical social gatherings such as wedding and night clubs. The origins are debated. There is evidence that it was part of the childbirthing process. The belly dancing we have come to know is the more theatrical version, rather than the simple style of dance performed by today's Arabs.

The term "kootchy-kootchy", which I thought was a euphemism for girly parts, was actually the nickname given to the "little egypt" dancers of the burlesque halls. It refers to the shimmy and shake.

Unlike ballet, where a plie is a plie whether it is taught in Paris, France or Paris, Texas, belly dancing is very stylized. The style of dance one may come across may be influenced by India, Turkey, North Africa, Greece or even Southern Spain. Two contemporary styles include "tribal fusion" and "gothic belly dancing".

The basic movements of the belly dance are hip sways, hip circles, hip slides, rib slides, rib or chest circles, shimmies and snake arms. The accompanying music lends itself to the sensual and erotic techniques employed by the belly dancer.

Pilates is a marriage of the body, mind and spirit. I find belly dancing to be also. The belly dance is a vigorous, cardio workout. It emphasizes the torso, due to the abdominal undulations. I can attest to the incredible workout. There is isolation of muscles or muscle groups. Dancers can expect to tone their "core", and the arms and pelvis get their share of toning. It burns about 300 calories, similar to those of a light jog or riding a bike.

Besides being a great workout, the flowing, expressive movements are sure to inspire more frequent and creative romantic liaisons.



The accessories are fun, too! A triangular hip scarf with 2 or 3 rows can be purchased for about $25. I throw mine over my favorite Lululemon Athletica Reverse Groove pants. They can also be wrapped to make a halter top for going out on the town.



The basic skills of belly dancing are easy to catch on to. Hips go front to back, side to side. Ribs go right, back, left and front. Arms up, down. Put it all together with some cool Arabia-esque rhythms and you are belly dancing. A quick google search will tell you that you don't have to be rail thin or under thirty to be a belly dancing enthusiast. While dancing off a few pounds, new seduction skills are learned, perhaps earning us more gold from our sultan!

Moroccan Mezze

Mez•zé n.(meh-ZAY)
1."something to whet the appetite" 2. the pleasure of savoring little bites

Our friends, Bob and Dottie, are coming tonight for wine and appetizers. I met Dolly on a Unity Women's Retreat and Doug and Bob found they are both home based investors. We are looking forward to getting to know them better, already having learned they see spirituality, politics and economics similarly.

I spent the morning practicing my belly dancing drills. This inspired a Moroccan menu. We'll be poolside. San Antonio is enjoying marvelous evenings and the garden loves the cooler weather, rewarding us with bright blooms.

I made from scratch Ina Garten's Hummus , adding 1 cup thawed artichokes to it this time. I have pita chips, feta and mixed olives to serve with the hummus and vegetables. We will be pouring a Greek Zinfadel, Castello Monaci's Piluna Primitivo. Arabic Groove is cued in the media center.

Peace be upon us.

Roasted Vegetables in Charmoula

1 Asian eggplant, cut into chunks, salted to release water
1 Zucchini, cut into chunks
1 Red bell pepper, chopped bite size
1 Red onion, chopped bite size

Charmoula
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tea cumin powder
1/4 tea smoke paprika
dash cayenne pepper
1/4 c olive oil
1 lemon juiced
1/4 c cilantro minced
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the charmoula, a marinade customarily used for fish, ahead of time. Coat the vegetables with charmoula and let marinade for 30 minutes. Roast vegetables at 450 20 min or until soft. Serve warm or room temperature.

Rendevous With Destiny

"Those who would trade our freedom for the soup kitchen of the welfare state have told us that they have a utopian solution of peace without victory. They call their policy "accommodation." And they say if we only avoid any direct confrontation with the enemy, he will forget his evil ways and learn to love us. All who oppose them are indicted as warmongers. They say we offer simple answers to complex problems. Well, perhaps there is a simple answer--not an easy answer--but simple.

If you and I have the courage to tell our elected officials that we want our national policy based upon what we know in our hearts is morally right. We cannot buy our security, our freedom from the threat of the bomb by committing an immorality so great as saying to a billion now in slavery behind the Iron Curtain, "Give up your dreams of freedom because to save our own skin, we are willing to make a deal with your slave masters." Alexander Hamilton said, "A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one." Let's set the record straight. There is no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there is only one guaranteed way you can have peace--and you can have it in the next second--surrender.

Admittedly there is a risk in any course we follow other than this, but every lesson in history tells us that the greater risk lies in appeasement, and this is the specter our well-meaning liberal friends refuse to face--that their policy of accommodation is appeasement, and it gives no choice between peace and war, only between fight and surrender. If we continue to accommodate, continue to back and retreat, eventually we have to face the final demand--the ultimatum. And what then? When Nikita Khrushchev has told his people he knows what our answer will be? He has told them that we are retreating under the pressure of the Cold War, and someday when the time comes to deliver the ultimatum, our surrender will be voluntary because by that time we will have weakened from within spiritually, morally, and economically. He believes this because from our side he has heard voices pleading for "peace at any price" or "better Red than dead," or as one commentator put it, he would rather "live on his knees than die on his feet." And therein lies the road to war, because those voices don't speak for the rest of us. You and I know and do not believe that life is so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery. If nothing in life is worth dying for, when did this begin--just in the face of this enemy? Or should Moses have told the children of Israel to live in slavery under the pharaohs? Should Christ have refused the cross? Should the patriots at Concord Bridge have thrown down their guns and refused to fire the shot heard 'round the world? The martyrs of history were not fools, and our honored dead who gave their lives to stop the advance of the Nazis didn't die in vain. Where, then, is the road to peace? Well, it's a simple answer after all.

You and I have the courage to say to our enemies, "There is a price we will not pay." There is a point beyond which they must not advance. This is the meaning in the phrase of Barry Goldwater's "peace through strength." Winston Churchill said that "the destiny of man is not measured by material computation. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we are spirits--not animals." And he said, "There is something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty."

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness."

- Ronald Reagan, A Time For Choosing

Nutella Cinnamon Coffee Cake

National events being disturbing as they are, I find myself seeking the comfort of home, family and friends this weekend. Jessica and I spent time making holiday plans. Our friends, Michael and Martha, joined us for an old fashioned chili supper and Halloween candy giving. And a sleepless night provided me time to seek meditation and mindfulness in a mixing bowl and baking pan.

Earlier this week, I came upon a guy boasting of having perfected a Nutella mousse on Giada de Laurentiss' website. My only Nutella concoction has been a Nutella Mocha Frappe that I have made frequently over the summer. I must say J.C.'s post got me thinking this morning. I believe I have a recipe submission for the upcoming World Nutella Day!

Nutella Cinnamon Coffee Cake 1 8" x 8" cake
















2 cups All purpose flour
1 1/2 tea Baking powder
1 tea Baking soda
1/2 tea Salt
1 cup Sugar
3 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 tea Cinnamon
1 stick Butter
2 large Eggs
1 cup Sour cream
1 tea Vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread

Bring butter, eggs and sour cream to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray baking pan with non-stick spray or grease with butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, put aside. Combine remaining dry ingredients in a bowl. For 5 minutes, cream butter and sugar together, until light and fluffy. To butter-sugar mixture, add eggs, fully incorporating one at a time. Continue combining wet ingredients with the sour cream and vanilla.

Mix together flour into wet ingredients in two batches. Mix lightly. Spread 1/2 of cake batter into prepared pan. Melt Nutella in microwave 15-30 seconds, just until it will pour in a stream. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar over the cake batter. Pour and spread the melted Nutella next. Spread the remaining cake batter over the filling, spreading carefully to cover the Nutella. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar. Bake for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Revision of Janet's Chocolate Coffe Cake in the May 2007 issue of Every Day with Rachel Ray

and the Lord will not answer you in that day

Excerpt by Laura Hollis...

...remind me of the Israelites’ demand for a king, as recounted in the Book of Samuel:

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."

Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots … He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." (1 Samuel 8:1-22)

Blueberry Coffee Cake

At church on Sundays, there is usually a very popular platter of Shipley donut holes. Once, I made biscuits with cheddar and bacon as a carb plus protein alternative. I learned the congregants really want the sweets with their coffee. Although they barely touched the biscuits, the 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/4 cups butter in this simple but delicious crumb cake had them scraping the baking pan.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Crumble Topping

1 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 stick of butter, diced

To make crumble topping, sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Place the butter in the sugar and flour mixture. Crumble with your fingers so the butter turns into little pea sized bits.

Cake

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1/4 c. butter, melted
12 oz of frozen blueberries

-Sift the first five ingredients together in a bowl and set aside
-Whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla, and melted margarine together in a bowl.
-Add the mix of wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients.
-Beat together with a hand held mixer until well incorporated.
Pour into a pre-greased 13×9 pan. Arrange the frozen berries on top of the batter. Sprinkle the crumble toppings.
Bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes.

Adapted from the What Did You Eat blog's Strawberry Coffee Cake

Rereading Orwell's 1984

Observing events of late, I find myself troubled by how much of it seems reminiscent of previous rises to power of the Socialists and Communists of the 20th century. These were leftist Totalitarian regimes with their progressive leaders promising "change". And change they delivered - witness the 100 million graves dug in order to make a better world by Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Jong II, Castro and others.

Myself, I am a staunch anti-communist. Watching the Democrats select a Socialist/Communist as their Presidential candidate is almost as disturbing as watching a Republican President allow the nationalization of an industry.

I located a used copy of Orwell's masterpiece dystopia. It was as awful a tale as I remembered. I just hope it remains in the fantasy rather than non-fiction category at Amazon.




"...he seemed to have lost the power of expressing himself..."

"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers-out of unorthodoxy."

"...a mass of imbecile enthusiasms - one of those completely unquestioning, devoted drudges...

"Nearly all children nowadays were horrible...ungovernable little savages...It was almost normal for people over thirty to be afraid of their own children."

"The enemy of the moment always represents absolute evil."

"Who controls the past controls the future, who controls the present controls the past."

"We're destroying words - scores of them, hundreds of them, every day."

"Don't you see that the whole aim of New Speak is to narrow the range of thought?"

"...a feeling that you had been cheated of something that you had a right to."

"Nearly everyone was ugly."

"The Party claimed, of course, to have liberated the proles from bondage. So long as they continued to work and breed, their other activities were without importance."

"Truisms are true...laws do not change. Stones are hard, water is wet."

"The older generation had been mostly wiped out in the great purges..."

"If you're happy inside yourself, why should you get excited about Big Brother and the Three Year Plans and the Two Minutes Hate and all the rest of their bloody rot?"

"It's all Inner Party stuff. There's nothing those swine don't have, nothing."

"The Hate continued exactly as before, except that the target had been changed."

"It is precisely in the Inner Party that war hysteria and hatred of the enemy is the strongest."

"The two aims of the Party are to conquer the whole surface of the earth and to extinguish once and for all the possibility of independent thought."

"The aim of the High is to remain where they are. The aim of the Middle is to change places with the High. The aim of the Low, when they have an aim...is to abolish all distinctions and create a society in which all men shall be equal."

"The new aristocracy was made up for the most part of bureaucrats, scientists, technicians, trade union organizers, publicity experts, sociologists, teachers, journalists and professional politicians."

"In general, the greater the understanding the greater the delusion: the more intelligent, the more insane. One clear illustration of this is the fact that war hysteria increases in intensity as ones rises in the social scales."

"Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship."

"Power is the power over human beings. Power is in inflicting pain and humiliation."

"There will be no art, no literature, no science."

"The more the Party is powerful, the less it will be tolerant, the weaker the opposition, the tighter the despotism."

"The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world. The worst thing in the world varies from individual to individual."

"For everyone, there is something unendurable."

-George Orwell

Southern Lady Celebration Savannah

I just returned from my 2nd Southern Lady Celebration. This year was a gathering of over 750 women to celebrate the heritage of being a Southern lady in Savannah. I met my daughter, Jessica, and her friend, Melissa, in Atlanta and we drove to the GA coast. Here are some highlights of our trip...

Flying Biscuit Cafe
My trip actually began with an overnight in Atlanta and a long overdue catch up with my friend, Phyllis English. Phyllis introduced me to the man who would become my husband many years ago. We will always be fond of her. If you are looking for a great Atlanta colorist, she's your girl.

The next morning, Jessica and I went on the search for a great Southern breakfast. We were not disappointed with the Flying Biscuit. The biscuits were high, the bacon was crisp and there serve apple butter.

Anna Griffin
Anna was an elegant woman who gave a great motivational talk.

Success Secrets

• Fill a void.
  
• Build a brand.
  
• Do what it takes to succeed.
  

Principles

• Value your time - no one else will.
  
• Take care of yourself.
  
• Be present to all opportunities.
  
• Take risks - instead of not growing.
  
• "And" - "or" is not an option.
  
• Be unstoppable - get excited.
  

"Being Southern is a state of mind. It's truly wanting to know how someone is when you ask them." -Anna Griffin

Barbara Bradley Baekgarrd - Vera Bradley
Barbara spoke to the audience about the forming of Vera Bradly with her friend and partner, Patricia Miller. She told amusing stories, one of which included her daughter-in-law keeping the coming baby's name a secret to prevent a handbag from being named after her. In our gift bag, we received a Pinwheel Pink umbrella. the Pinwheel Pink line donates 10% to breast cancer charities.

Sandra Lee
The Semi-Homemade star was the keynote speaker. First, we met her in the elevator on the way to the gala. She is rail thin and very outgoing. There was a cake decorating demo that became a very funny skit much to the dismay of the event producers! What was a girl to do - cocktail time! Sandra announced her new magazine, Sandra Lee Semi Homemade (Feb) and a new Food Network show, Money Saving Meals, based on her new cookbook. Sandra Lee fans should look out for a girls weekend featuring their hero in October 2009 in Atlanta.

"...smart women partnering to do business smarter." - Sandra Lee

Nancy Grace
"When you find yourself in a race you didn't sign up for, you run the race you are in." -Nancy Grace

The Tea Room
If you find yourself in Savannah around lunchtime, you will want to make a beeline for this tearoom. The food is fabulous and the decor is arts and crafts, rather than florals run amok.

Southern Lady Celebration 2009
Southern Lady will return to Savannah, GA for its 7th event Oct 9-11, 2009. Check with www.southernladymagazine.com for early registration until November 1, 2008. Requires a $100 deposit that is non-refundable.

Instant Glamour with Red Hot Shoes

From ivillage...by Aarti Sanan

It's hot, it's hot...in fact, it's red hot! Add a splash of color to your office suit and winter coat with sexy, bright red shoes. It's the most va-va-voom Hollywood trend this season, and it works perfectly with everything from the little black dress to pencil skirts and even minidresses. Bright red shoes go best with basic black, but you can have fun pairing them with khaki, white, charcoal or bold prints. Just stay away from obvious color clashes like purple. Remember, if it doesn't look good to you, it might look even worse than you think. And please avoid the matching red bag. That would be overkill.

Peep toes, pumps, round toes, accessorized with little bows, satin finish, a little bling with rhinestones for the holidays ‑- there's a red shoe out there for every outfit and every occasion. It's the new style statement, the new red lipstick. So get yourself a pair of racy red pumps today ‑- or maybe you want the slingbacks, or the kitten heels. And then there are the sexy red boots...

Go, Sarah, Go!

Happiness Experiment

Excerpt from Good Housekeeping...

My twinge of nostalgia for those premarital days was triggered by the arrival in my mailbox of a book called Happiness for Two: 75 Secrets for Finding More Joy Together. The sender was an editor friend who thought I'd make good use of it. The author was Alexandra Stoddard, an interior designer and author of dozens of books on "the art of living well." A self-proclaimed pioneer of the happiness movement, Stoddard spreads the word — literally — at "Happiness Weekends," where she lectures on how to find joy, bliss, and, for a little change of pace, color coordination.

A quick glance at the book's table of contents revealed three of her main themes:

1. Improve yourself. (Hence "secrets" like "Read some quality literature.")
2. Be considerate. (E.g., "Mess up, clean up" and "Sincerely say you're sorry.")
3. Do things à deux. ("Explore together your invisible wealth," "Read together"...and, just to drive home the point, "When you are together, be together.")

I'd read only three pages, and I was altogether ready to scorn Stoddard's neo-Victorian idea of a harmonious marriage. Any adult in need of reminders like "Don't correct each other in public" would be better off with a marriage counselor.

That said, some of the suggestions weren't as easy to scoff at. So I read on, and after cutting out the trite, irrelevant, and useless, I whittled down her list of 75 to 10:

1. Write each other's New Year's resolutions. This intrigued me. It was a bit early for resolutions, but we could certainly make a wish list of what we would each like the other to accomplish. If written, prods weren't nags.
2. Begin each encounter with a smile. So quaint, but there was hard research that smiling does improve outlook.
3. It feels good to look good. An opportunity to get Steve to wear nice clothes for a change, and not his ragged favorites.
4. Write love notes. As mentioned, we used to send beautiful, hilarious e-mails to each other. I wanted to revive our epistolary connection.
5. Give the gift of eye contact. We both had the bad habit of staring at the TV or computer screen when we talked.
6. Grumpiness is contagious. Being more mindful of mood could ward off secondhand blues.
7. Try not to interrupt. Stoddard meant bothering a partner during his alone time, but interruptions in conversation were also a problem for us (me).
8. Generous compliments lighten the heart. He was fairly reticent with the flattery. I wouldn't mind more of it.
9. Control your tone. Sometimes, I could be as obnoxious as a 16-year-old prom princess. For his part, Steve could be a tad condescending.
10. Celebrate more. We lavished gifts and parties on our daughters, but Steve and I downplayed our own birthdays and accomplishments. Making a big deal of little things could add excitement to our lives.

To view the article in its entirety, visit Good Housekeeping.

In Rememberance

Go Palin Go!

I'm a bitch, I'm a lover
I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your health, I'm your dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way

- Meredith Brooks, Bitch

Watermelon II

I previously blogged about the health benefits of eating watermelon at the beginning of the summer. It appears we have even more reason to enjoy a slice - it "has a Viagra - like effect on the body's..."

When Doug reads this blog he will think I am making this up. When he reads this report from Science News, he is going to think I've been tricking him into getting busy with all the watermelon I've been feeding him. Of course, I have only been thinking of his heart.

Lycopene in red melons is higher than than that found in tomatoes or red grapefruit. Apparently, lycopene relaxes blood vessels. So does Viagra. For a real good dose, you have to eat the rind since that's the part of the melon with the highest concentration of this nutrient. Don't worry, they are working on a new breed so we don't have to eat the nasty stuff. OHI is validated - they sometimes only juice the rind and give that to you.

It is known that the body is better at absorbing lycopene in tomatoes when it is consume with oily vegetables such as spinach or avocado. Dr Patil thinks watermelon in a salad is a hard sell. He may be right, a blog search nets only one such salad in the first few Google pages. However, watermelon is finding its way into gourmet restaurants. I located a Watermelon, Avocado and Arugula salad, which I would prefer to the spinach. There's Watermelon, Avocado and Tequila soup, not exactly a Margarita but what the heck. The one I liked best was a salad with Seared Tuna, Watermelon, Avocado and Grapefruit. Another recipe called for shrimp and shallots with the watermelon and avocado, watercress too.


It is my humble opinion that people seem to put together things in recipes that work best for the body. The French bistros have made salads of grapefruit and avocado for a long time and Mexicans have their guacamole. In the name of better health (and more nookie), I made the following salad...

Watermelon And Avocado Salad

1/8th watermelon or 1-2 cups, cut in chunks
1/2 ripe avocado, cut in chunks, s & p to taste
1 green onion, sliced-green parts only
4-6 leaves, basil, mint or combo of both, chopped
2 oz goat cheese, or substitute with feta, crumbled
Pistachios or sunflower seeds, chopped

Mix all ingredients. Serve with your favorite balsamic or red wine vinegar and oil dressing.

For a dressing, I pureed some watermelon with lemon juice and poured that over the salad with a sprinkle of almond oil.

We know not the good we do

Here are three stories from different spiritual practices (Christian Gospel, Modern and Hindu) that points us to the possibility to the good we may be doing as we go on our way without even knowing it.


"The kingdom of the father is like a certain woman who was carrying a jar full of meal. While she was walking on the road, still some distance from home, the handle of the jar broke and the meal emptied out behind her on the road. She did not realize it; she had noticed no accident. When she reached her house, she set the jar down and found it empty."

-Gospel Of Thomas


"There is a Sufi story about a man who is so good that the angels ask God to give him the gift of miracles. God wisely tells them to ask him if that is what he would wish. So the angels visit this good man and offer him first the gift of healing by hands, and then the gift of conversion of souls, and lastly the gift of virtue. He refuses them all. They insist that he choose a gift or they will choose one for him, 'Very well,' he replies, 'I ask that I may do a great deal of good without ever knowing it.'

The story ends this way: The angels were perplexed. They took counsel and resolved upon the following plan: Every time the saint's shadow fell behind him it would have the power to cure disease, soothe pain, and comfort sorrow. As he walked, behind him his shadow made the paths green, caused withered plants to bloom, gave clear water to dried-up brooks, fresh color to pale children, and joy to unhappy men and women.

The saint simply went about his daily life diffusing virtue as the stars diffuse light and the flowers scent, without ever being aware of it. The people respecting his humility followed him silently, never speaking to him about his miracles. Soon they even forgot his name and called him 'The Holy Shadow.'

-Naomi Reiman, Kitchen Table Wisdom


A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it somewhat. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

-Author Unknown

Lululemon Photo Shoot

Friday, I was among several area fitness teachers performing our areas of expertise at the Lululemon opening day. Hanging in the store are large graphics of each of the Quarry Market Ambassadors, with one of yours truly.

This photo is the one selected by Lululemon Corp to hang in the store.

In May, I was priviledged to be the star of my own photo shoot modeling lululemon athletica!

The shoot was held at San Antonio's Japanese Tea Gardens. The gardens were built in a limestone quarry in the early 20th century. It is adjacent to the San Antonio Zoo in the Brackenridge Park. I was asked to select a city landmark that spoke to me. I chose the gardens for their beauty and serenity.

Photographer: Jamie Karutz

Lululemon Quarry Market Grand Opening Fiesta

I'll be performing Pilates in the Lululemon Athletica window August 8 from 12-12:30 pm as part of the Quarry Market's Grand Opening activities. The official opening is Saturday, August 16.

The store will have expanded stock, with lots of seasonal color that lulu is known for. Come by and say hello!

Click to enlarge image for details on Complimentary classes and other events.

45th

Friends gathered at our house last Saturday morning for a Parisian Breakfast to celebrate my birthday! I turn 45 today. Tonight, Doug is treating me to dinner at the brand new Tre Trattoria.



I made Asparagus, Shallot and Swiss quiches, my own recipe, and a vegetarian option.







For sweet decadence, I also made Paula Deen's French Toast Casserole.









There was lots of good cheer and conversation. Everybody came bearing gifts. I have much to be grateful for. 45, yikes!








I share my birthday with the fabulous Mr. Thomas Sowell. He is a columnist, Economist, Stanford fellow and author. My favorites are View of the Annointed and Quest For Cosmic Justice.

David Lebovitz in my kitchen

Recently, I found myself with time on my hands for a whole day on a Sunday. I volunteered at church, grocery shopped, took a Bikram yoga class, swam, sun bathed and began to think about what I could get up to in my kitchen (and avoid having to get a handle on my papers overflowing).

While searching food blogs midday, I came across David Lebovitz's Lemon Buttermilk Sherbet (from his book, The Perfect Scoop) as well as recipe for Confit Of Tomatoes. No, he wasn't really in my kitchen, just his recipes. David's tomato dish reminded me of similar recipes I've made by Ina Garten and Tyler Florence. I just happened to have a carton of cherry tomatoes I was planning on using with tuna for kebabs. I changed my plans (wonder if Rev. Tudor's sermon on "Change Of Heart" had anything to do with it?)

Before going to yoga, I made the sherbet. While I could die happy only have chocolate for sweets, Doug loves anything cold and he's partial to tart as well. This sherbet is a healthy, homemade alternative to the usual sherbets we buy.


The recipe is super simple. I assembled all my ingredients. I substituted Xylitol for 1/2 of the sugar and will add blueberries to Lebovitz's recipe.

Here I have made the syrup and allowed it to cool. I also have juiced 2 lemons. The final mixture is the buttermilk, heavy cream, syrup with zest and lemon juice (and a splash of vodka).

The ice cream is setting up. I have reduced the buttermilk to add two oz of heavy cream to the mix. I also added about one oz of vodka (limoncello would be my choice when making for company and I'd use more than a splash). As I found out with the Strawberry Buttermilk Sherbet I made a couple of weeks back, frozen treats made with low fat dairy on non dairy become hard and icy if not consumed within a few hours. Great if your entertaining, but we want a quart to last for the week. A tiny bit of vodka will do the trick, apparently.


The last 5 minutes, I have added 1/2 carton of fresh berries that I froze. Doug eats frozen blueberries on his commercial sherbets so this wasn't a far reach. I added the berries frozen to prevent the berries from bursting in the mix and turning the whole think purple, which might be desirable on another occasion.


Here you have it! No a bad replacement for the commercial stuff...even that at Whole Foods or our GucciB. And I already had all these ingredients! If you haven't ran out and bought yourself an ice cream maker and you love frozen treats, it's time to do so. Consider Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop your ice cream bible.


Later, I turned my attention to the what I would have for dinner. While I sun bathed, I started roasting tomatoes. To the tomatoes, I added a generous portion of Umbrian olive oil, salt and pepper, quartered garlic cloves, green onions, basil and oregano leaves that came from my garden. I'm using my paella pan, which I can also use later on the stove top over the flame burner.

I slightly browned cubes of 8 oz tuna in the liquid from the tomatoes. Once the fish was browned, I added the tomatoes back in to the pan along with 1/4 c kalamata olives that were pitted and halved, 1 tbsp capers, 1/4 c diced feta cheese, the juice of 1/2 lemon, lemon slices, black pepper to taste and torn oregano leaves. Red pepper flakes would be a good addition.

This sauce is reminiscent of the Italian Puttanesca sauce or the popular sauce Greeks cook shrimp in. I can think of several pastas this would be good served over. Let me tell you - this was easy and tasty.

Did you know that Puttanesca translates to Harlot's Sauce? It seems ladies of the night in Napoli would use this sauce to entice their customers. Doug's gonna love this one!

Well, I still had some blueberries. I put together this Blueberry Crostata with a refrigerated pie crust I had on hand in mere minutes.

Thank goodness Doug came home this evening! It has been a good day - Thanks to Mr. Lebovitz. And I'm all seductive and delicious as a result of my Tuna Puttenesca.

Tips for making homemade ice cream softer by David Lebovitz

"Alcohol doesn't freeze, which you know if you're anything like me and keep a bottle of Zubróvka vodka chilled and ready in your freezer. You can add up to 3 tablespoons of 40 proof liquor to 1 quart (1 liter) of your frozen dessert mixture prior to churning."

"In my recipes, I indicate where low-fat products can be used without sacrificing the results. You could theoretically use non-fat products but your ice cream or frozen yogurt will be grainy and icy and most likely you won't be thrilled with the results."

"Like alcohol, sugar doesn't freeze which is why you shouldn't futz around with recipes and just reduce the sugar willy-nilly. Almost all frozen dessert recipes use white granulated sugar, however you can replace some or all of the sugar with another liquid sweetener, namely honey or light corn syrup.

Either one will give the ice cream a smoother, less-icy texture but the drawback is that honey has a taste that may not be compatible with your other flavors and corn syrup has its own detractors."