Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Time & Space

I just flew 2,000 miles across the country.  it's incredible how commonplace that occurrence has come to be.

My great grandfather had the goal of crossing the Mississippi river.  In 80 some years of life he never made it.  His daughter, my very dear Great Aunt who was nicknamed Dude for her gumption, lived all over the country. In the 30's and 40's she made a life for herself that was unprecedented.  She drove trucks for the us army, got divorced, and worked as a secretary at nasa in the height of the space race.  When she died she left a box full of pins from almost every state in the Union and a few from our northern neighbor.  I found a plastic potato to represent Iowa and more state flags than I can remember.  Also, embarrassingly, some Canadian provinces that I didn't know existed.

Hard to reconcile that with the fact that until the age of 16 she had never left the very small town of Candler to make the now 20 minute by car, trek to Asheville.  At 16, little Dude finally left the confines of Candler to see the small city of Asheville. 

Technology caused time and space to shift so drastically during her lifetime.  I drive that distance everyday in a car traveling at 65 miles an hour.  

What a hugely different experience we have with time and space than our forefathers.  It's easy to think that the ones who came before us were ignorant and wrong, but are we right?  Just because I can fly 2,000 miles across the country, it doesn't mean that my limited brain can understand the space I've traveled, or that my body's reflexes can make that shift in time as quickly as I'm moving in space.  

Right now, I look at a map, and cannot imagine that I flew across all of that land...all of that space, without touching any of it.  I cannot conceptualize the distance, only to be back across the country on the east coast at work on monday morning.  

My great grandfather must have felt the same way, looking at a map tracing the line representing the great Mississippi, a faraway and unimaginable landmark that he would never see.


Saturday, February 14, 2015

Shake it- Creamy Lavender Protein


I was craving some protein, and I always have the most random ingredients handy.  This one came out surprisingly well!

1/4 avocado
handful of coconut
3 dates
2 pinches of lavender flowers
1 pinch of ground thyme
About 1 1/2 cups water (to fill line)

I put the lavender and coconut on top for your benefit.  Nice decoration if you want it to look pretty, not necessary though.

Even though this one has no dairy or dairy replacement, it has a great yogurty texture, and I love anything with lavender :)

Friday, February 13, 2015

Shake It- Soothing Immunity Blend

I'm getting a cold, and solids just didn't sound appetizing, so I made this perfect little shake.

I knew that it would be share worthy as soon as I had the idea!

Handful of kale
Pinch of turmeric
Half a carrot
Squirt of lemon juice
Filled to water line with camomile/honey infusion

Perfection!


Thursday, February 12, 2015

Curious Raccoon



Raccoon Reaches for Supernova

Curiosity is absolute human nature.  We personify the quality in cats, but our furry house guests are probably just exercising their finely tuned hunting skills.  Curiosity is you and me, human all the way.

Have you ever touched a plate just after the waiter told you it was hot... or smelled something that your trusted friend just reported stinks?

Sometimes I think that I have more of a need to fulfill my curiosity than most of my fellow humans.  I absolutely revel in my need to experience.  Touch, see, and taste whether it's rational or not.

I always eat the decorative flower on my fancy plate, I stomp the balloon because I want the experience, and I CAN.  Destroying in that tiny way makes me feel powerful.

Reach for the supernova because it's beautiful... and full of destruction.