Sunday evening roundups

No-tech Sunday:

Last Sunday, Julie and I did a no-tech day: no computers, no cell phones, no TV, etc. We fudged a bit to use the coffee maker (an essential item!) and the stove to cook. It was a wonderful experience, simply being unplugged. Just being together in that way was quite an experience, finding her rhythm in the silence, finding our rhythm in the many subtle movements and expressions otherwise overlooked. We played cards, lounged in bed, read, talked, and exchanged late Christmas gifts – one of mine being a lovely cast-iron cooking pan.

The part that made me smile most about it was that it was made in America. I’m far from being an isolationist or a nationalist, but it’s just rare to find things made in America these days. And it doesn’t take much to see that the massive reliance on imported goods is not sustainable (especially from an ocean away in China). One of my gifts for her: a photo of mine she liked, printed locally, and in a frame made in Mexico (not so bad). Most other stuff: made in China (boo).

A friend of mine has an electricity-free cabin not far from here that he rents out for short retreats… I hope to get there for a while some time after my return from England.

Incredible photography:

Sky in Motion – a few moments of wonderful peace. Nalton has plenty of other beautiful imagery, music, and writing on his site, all well worth a look.

The Joy of Cooking:

When eating – spice it up – spices ranging from cinnamon and nutmeg to cardamom and others provide powerful health benefits. I’ve started adding cinnamon to my coffee, turmeric and cayenne pepper on my salmon and veggie burgers, tons of garlic and oregano in my pasta sauces, fresh, homegrown basil in my veggie-wraps, and much more. Not only does it have great health effects, but it builds amazing depth and complexity to the flavors and aromas of my favorite foods.

A good Day:

Good day’s don’t always start out good. Today I woke up grumpy over some person who I wish would just stop being the way she is. I took that to the gym with me, along with some talks by Gil Fronsdal from audiodharma.org. One of his was about working with difficulties in life, finding a presence even with the difficult person or thought or idea and just noticing how that presence itself is bigger, more satisfying than the drama/story/etc of the difficulty itself. The other talk that I downloaded was on Gratitude, a semi-regular theme for me these last 6 or so months. Between the two talks I was moved from stuck in someone else’s drama, to acceptance and joy of presense, to gratitude for everything wonderful in my life. After that things mellowed out quite a bit. And, after a couple more hours of study and writing, the day will end back at Julie’s, for some Planet Earth, and maybe some cards.

And so – a good day. Wishing you all a good day, happy studies, much peace and a fresh start to the new week.