Adelie-my new kitten companion

What a week! I completed another 365 day trip around the sun, watched a baby hummingbird learn to fly and welcomed a new kitten into my life. My life is certainly blessed.  I may not have tons of financial assets, but I have so many other forms of abundance that it doesn’t matter.

Birthdays!

Yes, I celebrated my 29th birthday this past week (just kidding) not about the birthday but the age!  I’m a long ways away from 29 but  I’m learning that the number doesn’t matter. When I was 29, I couldn’t imagine turning 47 but here I am! I actually like getting older. There’s a lot to say for the wisdom you acquire as you age so as I move forward in my life journey, I hope that I continue to grow both spiritually and emotionally. Thank you God for blessing me with another year!

Aging does have its advantages. I find I care less about what people think about me and I’m more apt to blurt out my opinions.  One day I will be an  old lady and  wear purple. Are you familiar with Jenny Joseph’s poem? Most of us are but in case you’ve never had the pleasure, I’m sharing it below. Enjoy!

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick the flowers in other peoples’ gardens

And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go

Or only bread and pickles for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple

Hummingbirds!

For the past several weeks, a mother hummingbird made her nest on our front porch. My husband and I have been fascinated with watching the entire process and David even documented some of it on film. At some point when he edits the footage, I’ll share.

Earlier, this week I could tell the baby hummingbird was getting too big for the nest and pretty soon it would be time for the little birdie to venture out on her own. Well, lo and behold I looked out my window on Monday morning and I saw the mother hummingbird flying around the nest in circles showing the little baby how it’s done. She then flew further away and perched herself on a vine and waited. The baby hummingbird then started flapping her wings and making every attempt to take flight. I was so nervous because as you know I have lots of kitties in my neighborhood, so need i say more?

The next thing I knew the little baby bird took off and started to fly. At first she circled around the nest rather clumsily for a little while and then she took off like a little pro!  I knew right away I had witnessed something very special. A few mintues later she flew back and landed on the nest as if to say good-bye to me and then flew off. I haven’t seen her or the mother since then. I’m thrilled the little bird is making her way in the world and the mama bird’s job is done but still I’ve been a little sad becasue they were a part of my life for so many weeks. God speed to the little hummingbird and may your life be full of beauty and adventure.

Kittens!

Last but not least, Adelie joined our family this past week. Her picture is at the top of this post. She’s a 3.8lb ball of fur, fun, and energy. A friend mentioned that she didn’t know I was in the market for another cat. Is anyone ever in the market for another cat, I replied. Especially animal rescue people. Well it’s a long story as to why we are keeping her (aren’t they all?) but I’m thrilled to have another one of  God’s beautiful creatures to share my life with!

Enjoy your weekend and don’t forget to look for the wealth in your life in those places you least expect!

(If you’d like to read more about changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.)

Every Friday is “Friday Fun Day” and I post a website, quote, recipe, or story that relates to simple and minimalist living. Sometimes I just post something fun and inspiring!

Don’t you love friends who bake? Better yet, friends who share their baking with you. I have a friend who is a wonderful baker and very generous with sharing her creations with me.

Not too long ago she knocked on my door and delivered the most wonderful vegan bread. Once you get the hang of it, vegan cooking can be simple not to mention extremely healthy. The bread was so delicious I asked her to share the recipe with me. If you’re interested in trying vegan cooking but don’t know how to get started, this recipe is easy and tasty.

My friend wanted to give credit where credit was due so she told me that she found this fabulous recipe on Joy the Baker’s blog. She did a bit of modification and halved the recipe and used sweet potato instead of pumpkin (didn’t take as long to bake- watch at 45-50 min and see if you need more time).  She also added a few dried cranberries and molasses and honey in place of the maple syrup (just because she didn’t have any syrup in her house).

Below is the recipe. Enjoy!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour ( or whole wheat flour… or just use only all-purpose flour)

2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree, or just under two cups

1 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup water

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place a rack in the center of the oven.  Grease and flour two loaf pans (mine are 8×4×2) and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In a medium bowl, carefully whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup and water.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold all of the ingredients together.  Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well, finding any stray flour bits to mix in.  Fold in most of the chopped walnuts, reserving some to sprinkle on top of the batter once in the pan.

Divide the dough between the two greased pans and sprinkle with a few walnut pieces.  Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven.  Let rest in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Serve warm.  Maybe even wrap one loaf up in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for future munching.

Shylo napping with his eyes open

Cats are majestic animals and they are full of all kinds of wisdom. Now a cat will not give you unsolicited or even solicited advice for that matter but if you observe them closely little pearls of wisdom will be made explicitly obvious. Most of their teachings (well pretty much all of them) center on the importance of napping. Cats don’t need to buy a lot of stuff to be happy. Give them a place to nap and they are as happy as can be. They are the ultimate minimalists!

Napping is an under-rated luxury in our fast paced competitive culture. There is no money involved and they are a great way to recharge your battery. Cats must have some dang good karma going because they have the good fortune of spending the majority of their lives perfecting the art of napping.  Humans on the other hand are not so lucky.  However for those precious moments we can seize for perfecting the napping art those of the feline persuasion are here to inspire and lead by example.

Now I must give credit for this posting where credit is due. My three cat companions Rorschach, Shiloh, and Hunter are the real authors and I served only as the vessel for what they generously channeled to me. They have been honing their napping skills their entire lives and they have it down quite well, thank you very much! Below are some of their insights. Happy Napping!

Never underestimate the power of power naps. My cat companions see no reason ever to need a reason to take a nap and neither should you. Nap because you deserve it. Nap because you just ate a big meal. Nap to pamper yourself. Nap because you want to.  Napping also keeps you from resisting the urge to constantly be doing something because you’ll be asleep and won’t have time to mentally be going over your To-Do-List. Talk about simple living! What could be simpler than napping?

Naps reduce stress and anxiety therefore being good for your health as well. With the exception of the occasional worry that I may not give into their demands to be fed at 4am, my cats have very little stress in their lives. I have never once witnessed them fretting over paying bills, too many errands to run, or what the neighbors think. They do not give a hoot about inflation, ballooning deficits, or what political party is in power.

Naps can be taken anywhere so don’t just limit yourself to the couch or bed. My cats are always quick to remind me that behind the computer or even on top of it is a great place to nap because of the extra warmth provided. The closet is another great place to grab a few winks. To avoid having to lounge on dirty clothes they suggest you pull down some clothes from the closet rod and make yourself at home. The next time someone in your household places warm clean freshly dried clothes anywhere in your house, jump on it immediately even if you are in the middle of an important task. Some other ideas include bathroom sinks and tubs, your spouse’s desk chair (especially if they work at home) and the kitchen table.

Naps can enhance your creativity. My cats have torn the lining from the front end of our bed’s box spring thus resulting in a cozy hammock to hide in. This kind of creativity they say would not have been possible if they were over-worked and sleep deprived. Just imagine the works of art you will be able to accomplish once you get into the napping habit.

Naps don’t have to be at specific times. Forget anything you’ve been taught about the proper time to take naps. My cats nap in the morning, afternoon, and evening. They nap when guests are over and when they are not. Sometimes they put off important tasks like bird watching or stalking their toys because they feel a napping urge coming on.

Napping makes you more beautiful. My cats are living proof that napping makes you drop dead stunningly gorgeous. They may have tracked cat litter throughout the house and into the bed, little balls of their fur may adorn the floor, and their dining area may be a mess but my felines always look immaculate. Napping gives you the energy for extra grooming and beauty routines and the occasional exercise of jumping up onto the kitchen cabinet.

Naps put you in a good mood. There are many vices out there that claim to elevate your mood but napping beats them all hands down. However sometimes there are obstacles to overcome. If you are having trouble finding a quiet place to nap, seriously consider hiding. This lessens the chance of other family members bothering you, waking you up and putting you in a cranky mood. Remember we are napping to rejuvenate our beings so we have more to offer to ourselves and others. Note: my cats asked that I especially stress the “ourselves” part.

Now napping out in the open is certainly acceptable and often preferable. Pretend you don’t hear it if someone tries to wake you but do deepen your breath to make sure your belly is noticeably moving up and down. You want others to know you are still alive but you don’t want anyone prodding you to exit your slumber prematurely. Even if you do open your eyes for a few seconds not too worry. Cats often sleep with their eyes open so why shouldn’t you? Pretend you don’t see anyone and go immediately back to sleep. Wake up when you are good and ready and not a moment before.

David and Me after touring this beautiful home called The Towers

Every Friday is “Friday Fun Day” and I post a website, quote, recipe, or story that relates to simple and minimalist living. Sometimes I just post something fun and inspiring!

Visiting my husband’s family in Baton Rouge always includes a side trip to Natchez, Mississippi to visit his sister. Natchez is a charming little town that sits on the Mississippi River and is at the southern end of the Natchez Trace Parkway.  Natchez was spared the burning and destruction that was inflicted on much of the south during the Civil War. As a result the city retains much of it’s pre-war beauty and many of its fabulous historic buildings survive to this day.

Today Natchez is full of restored antebellum homes, quaint little shops, and fabulous restaurants. The people are lovely and lots of fun. Natchez is full of southern hospitality and lots of simple pleasures. The simple pleasures in life are what make our day to day existence so full of wealth and abundance.  Below I share with you the beauty, elegance and simplicity of Natchez, Mississippi at Christmas time. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Happy Holidays and all that good stuff!!

Christmas tree in downtown Natchez

Street in downtown Natchez

one of Natchez's homes beautifully decorated

another beautifu Natchez home

Historic antebellum Mansion Longwood lit up for Christmas

Beautiful Natchez Nativity scene that I saw in a shop window

Just another gorgeous Natchez Home

Every Friday is “Friday Fun Day” and I post a website, quote, recipe, or story that relates to simple and minimalist living. Sometimes I just post something fun and inspiring!

Welcome to “Friday Fun Day.” As I mentioned above, going forward I will be posting something short yet fun on Fridays. Although I have never been one to advocate that we live our lives waiting for Friday to come, there is something special about the day. It’s the time that most of us take a deep breath after a long week of working hard and look forward to weekend fun.

Also, as a side note, you may notice the icon for my new book on the side of this site. I will be writing about this on Monday. But back to Friday Fun Day…..

This Friday Fun Day, I offer you a simple yet scrumptious vegetarian recipe that’s also easy on the pocket book. It’s called Santa Fe Soup. I can’t take credit for this because my mother gave me this recipe. The weather is turning cooler and most or our appetites are craving something heartier and this is the perfect dish to appease those cravings. You can also freeze this soup easily.

Ingredients:

2 lbs of crumbled Boca Burger

1 onion chopped

1 can of Black Beans (16oz)

1 can of Pinto Beans (16oz)

1 can of Kidney Beans (16 oz)

2 cans of white corn (16 oz)

1 can of Rotel tomatoes (16 oz)

1 can of crushed tomatoes (16 oz)

2 packages of Ranch dressing mix

2 packages of taco seasoning

Directions:

Brown Boca Beef and onion on top of the stove

Stir in Ranch mixes, taco mixes, beans, and tomatoes (don’t drain the beans or tomatoes as this makes the soup)

Add 2 cups of water

Simmer at least two hours

You can garnish this soup with tofu sour cream and green onions. I also like to serve it with cornbread. This recipe is simple, easy, tasty, and healthy!

Bon appétit!

My simple Halloween Decorations (that's Georgie the cat in the picture as well)

I love Halloween. Some of my best memories as a child come from dressing up and trick or treating around the neighborhood. My brothers and I would eat endless amounts of sweets and scare ourselves silly with spooky stories. It was a simple holiday yet rich in quality. Fall was in full swing and the autumn colors were at their most vibrant. The weather was just right – not too cold and not too hot. Halloween was the perfect combination of scariness, creativity, and fun.

I don’t remember spending weeks preparing for Halloween or spending tons of money on costumes or parties. Halloween was all about make believe and celebrating that part of ourselves that was adventurous and daring. It was the perfect escape from our day to day lives. I would usually dress up as a gypsy and wear one of my long maxi dresses and adorn myself with numerous necklaces, bracelets and rings. It was the one night I could wear tons of my mother’s blue and green eye shadow and actually go out. Our church would have a carnival the week of Halloween as well and I could wear my homemade costume in public one more time. Creativity and spontaneity were the name of the game and “anything goes” was the rule.

As an adult I still look forward to Halloween and the romantic cozy mood it creates. I especially love the pumpkins and all the treats associated with them. Once Halloween is here, I know it’s going to be a fast but fun ride through the remainder of the fall season. Before I know it, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s make their appearance and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is in full swing. Halloween is the calm before the storm. It’s the prelude to non-stop busyness and planning.

Don’t get me wrong, I love all these holidays but they can at times get complicated and hectic. With Halloween, the day just shows up and we enjoy it. We may have planned a little bit in the weeks ahead by thinking about our costumes and stocking up on candy. Sometimes a party is planned or scary movies or lined up but that’s about it. I’ll admit Halloween has become much more commercialized in the previous years but it’s still fairly low key compared to the other holidays. I think its simplicity is why it’s so popular. There’s little pressure to have the perfect Halloween and we all do what makes us happiest.

My husband and I watch scary movies every Halloween and hand out candy to the neighborhood trick or treaters. Our living room is illuminated with all kinds of candles to create that spooky eerie feeling we love to scare ourselves with. I make brownies and we eat sweet tarts and smarties. Sometimes we’ll have friends over and sometimes we’ll spend the evening alone. I’m too big to go trick or treating now but I still do so in spirit. I love knowing that some young girl out there is all dressed up in her mother’s make-up and jewelry and creating memories that will last a lifetime. She will grow up to be big one day and another young girl will take her place. The wheels of life keep turning. Long live Halloween!

Beautiful Big Bear Lake

We all deserve a little beauty in our lives. Heck, we all deserve a lot of beauty in our lives. Life is full of beauty but sometimes the hatred and ugliness going on in the world distracts us and we miss out on it. We also have ridiculously busy and frantic schedules and we forget to slow down and enjoy the abundant beauty that is all around us.

I am committed to looking for beauty in my life every single day. Life is short and I want to experience as much as I can while I’m here and that includes everything that is beautiful. Below are three ways I’m making sure that I surround myself with beauty every single day.

Slowing Down! The first step to surrounding yourself with beauty is to slow down. How can you enjoy the feel of a breeze on your skin or the fresh smell of rain if you’re running around like a chicken with its head cut off? I have to make a conscious effort to drag myself away from the computer or any other activity I’m engrossed in and consciously look around and appreciate all I see. I try to spend as much time outdoors as possible even if it’s only walking around my neighborhood or sitting on my front porch. Nature alone can entertain me for hours. Watching my cats as they go about their day to day routine (which is mainly sleeping) is beautiful to me as well.

Purposeful Planning: The second step is to purposefully plan something beautiful in your life every day. It can be as simple as taking the scenic route home or buying a fresh bouquet of flowers. If you make it your intention to surround yourself with beauty every day it will happen. Remember beauty is not only the visual. I listen to NPR while driving in my car or while I’m cooking at home. When I need a break from information overload I switch over to the classic radio station. A beautiful piece of music immediately calms my soul. I also have a couple of favorite books with beautiful uplifting prose and reading them never fails to beautify my spirit.

Looking for Beauty in Places I Normally wouldn’t Expect to Find it: I’ve started randomly smiling at strangers throughout my day. Nine times out of ten I always receive a warm smile right back. It’s a beautiful feeling when two people send positive vibes each other’s way. Even in congested traffic or going about my day in an overcrowded city, I look around and am in awe of all my fellow human beings. I appreciate that we are all in this life journey together and everyone is doing the best that they can. Feeling connected to other peoples is beautiful and reminds me we are all inter-connected.

Banner at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival

What Are You Reading Right Now?

As an avid reader and lover of books, I’m embarrassed to admit that until this past weekend I have never attended a book festival before.   Now I’ve been to plenty of bookstores and libraries in my time and I’ve spent many hours on the Amazon book site but  never to a book festival.  So this past weekend, along with my friend Maddy, who has attended numerous book fairs by the way, I attended my very first one ever. On Saturday, she and I hopped on the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and headed on up to UCLA  for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

I’m always on the look-out for low-cost (or no cost is even better) things to  do that are fun and inspiring. A book festival seemed like the perfect outing. There was  no cover to get in and we even utilized public transportation so we didn’t have to pay $10.00 for parking our car. I’ve  always thought it rather ludicrous for one to have to pay for the privilege of parking one’s car. But that’s another blog/rant, right?

I recently read that Americans are reading less and less. This is a pretty dismal statistic so I was happy to see such a great turn-out at the book fair.  Now granted people could have been attending for the food because there were almost as many food tents as there were book tents.  However, I’ll set aside my skepticism and assume people were there to broaden their knowledge and awareness of new literature and not just to sample the latest Panda Express entree or purchase a $5.00 lemonade. Yes, you read it write, lemonade was selling for $5.00.  There would need to be a shot of liquor in any drink I paid $5.00 for, so needless to say I kept my thirst quenched with the water I brought from home.  Disclaimer: We did eventually end up buying a $5.00 + drink  but that was for the Margarita we had in Westwood Village before we headed back home.  And it was $5.00 well spent I might add!

Back to the book festival….. Lots of people are self publishing these days which I think is fabulous. I’m a firm believer in we all have something to say. We all have a unique perspective and we all have a story to tell. If a publisher is not willing to pick your work up then you still have an opportunity to get your voice out to the world. Also, just think of the great wealth of stories and information for the reader. Why should we all be at the whims of what publishing houses choose to publish?  They can’t publish everything and have certainly overlooked some good books the first time around. For a list of books that were originally self-published, check this out by clicking here.

Patti Zona author of The Value of a Homemaker is a great example of an author who recently self published. She was signing and handing out copies of her book at the festival.  I was especially intrigued by the title since “homemaker” is pretty much my main job these days. Actually, I like the term “home arts practitioner” better because running a household is definitely an art.   And an often thankless one at that!  I look forward to reading Ms. Zona’s book and several of the other freebies I picked up while making the book tent rounds.In addition to books, there were lots of other great resources for anyone who is interested in writing, publishing, etc…

Since a lot of my blog has to do with living as abundantly as possible even when times are lean, I thought I would pass on an interesting book site I found out about. It’s called Swaptree. It’s a site where you can trade books, music, dvd’s, and video games all for free.  Check it out. You might be able to get that book or cd you’ve been wanting by trading one of yours. You’ll save money and it’s environmentally friendly.

So to reitterate my question in bold at the top of this post. What are you reading right now?

Until next time….

Me with my Valentine Flowers and Shylo in the foreground stealing center stage

I had a wonderful three day weekend. Yes, even unemployed people look forward to three day weekends and Fridays as well!  We jobless people do a mammoth amount of work during the week-looking for work, housework, soul searching work, etc…

Saturday was a gorgeous day and I savored the red velvet cupcake my friends dropped by on Friday night. A better description of the “cupcake” might be a big slice of cake, as it was enough for two people. Red velvet cake is not a dessert I would make own my own so it was quite a treat!

Of course Valentine’s Day was Sunday. I’ve had several conversations with friends over the last few days about how people seem to be scaling back this year for Valentine’s Day.  People seem to be spending time together as opposed to having a “buy fest”. As one of my friends says “Every day is Valentine’s Day when you’re in love!”  I like this statement. Maybe it’s one reason why David and I have never gone all out on Valentine’s Day with expensive dinners, pajama grams, bouquets of expensive flowers, and Godiva chocolates. It’s a fun day but every day is special with David.

We woke up on Sunday morning and he make me breakfast. I then reciprocated and made a decadent shrimp casserole that evening. That evening we watched reruns of CSI.  No romantic classics like “The Way We Were” or “When Harry Met Sally” for us! No Sir-ee! We like watching the Vegas crime lab team secure and investigate a murder scene, perform autopsies, and decipher DNA coding. It was a great Valentine’s Day! Spending time with the love of my life and watching crime shows. We’re such a great match!

Monday, was President’s Day and David had the day off. I got up and went to an early morning yoga class. When I got home, David had a beautiful bouquet of roses waiting for me. He bought several bunches of flowers and arranged them himself. The kitchen looked like a messy floral shop, but I didn’t care. My flowers were beautiful. I’m not one to get excited over jewelry and other extravagant gifts, but flowers get me every time.

In addition, he bought me dark chocolate and a tiny stuffed dog which the cats are afraid of but are warming up to as I write. I had mentioned to him earlier that flowers would be nice but we are watching every penny we spend so I didn’t completely expect him to come through. But he always does, he always comes through for me. At times it seems this holiday is nothing more than a Hallmark driven over-commercialized holiday. But at its core, it’s well meaning and the perfect time to splurge on little luxuries and say I love you to the one we love the most. If splurging on little luxuries is not in the cards for you, then splurge on time spent with your significant other. Like my friend says, “Everyday is Valentine’s day when you’re in love.” May we all carry the spirit of Valentine’s Day with us throughout the year!

My wonderful front porch

The weather has been almost perfect in Los Angeles recently. As a matter of fact, it has been perfect. Not too hot, not too cold, temperatures in the 70′s, sunny skies-it doesn’t get much better than this when it comes to winter. When I talk to family and friends back in Alabama, I almost feel bad telling them how beautiful it is here because I know they are battling extremely cold weather.  Well, not too bad!

I’m so fortunate to be living in such a beautiful place.  No wonder millions of people are crammed onto the southern California coast, because this area of the world is truly beautiful.

Being unemployed, I try to keep myself on a schedule, so I have some semblance of structure in my life. One of the things I try to do everyday is go for a walk in my neighborhood. Sometimes, I go alone or sometimes with my friend, Maddy. I love my neighborhood. It’s so diverse and interesting. It’s just the right mixture of all different kinds of people. I also love where I live. It’s my little corner of paradise. Sometimes I take my laptop onto my front porch and work, take in the fresh air, and watch the people walking by.

My time outdoors each day is one of my greatest little luxuries. It doesn’t cost a thing and it makes me feel engergized and inspired. It’s easy to fall prey to worrying about the future and what’s in store for me. Being outdoors and taking in the great beauty around me keeps me centered and in the “now”.