Buddha v. Dad

I'm officially in count-down mode. This time next week, I'll be home! .... and I'm so freakin' excited, I simply can't stand it. Mississippi is calling my name (my double name, of course...).

Admittedly, If I were not a complete miser and were willing to dish out 'even more' money to Qantas to bump my flight up, I'd be coming home today. But, alas, I'm a cheapskate and am happy (ier) wasting time until 11:00 a.m. rolls around next Sunday....

So, I'm in Brisbane now with with my official pen-pal. Who has pen pals these days? I do. "Old school & Proud" should be my motto. Rebecca & I lived together for only about 6 months in 2005 in Melbourne. She is one of the best roommates I've ever had. We became fast friends and life was good.  After all these years, despite the international-ness of our friendship, we have managed to stay very close. I've spent Christmas with her family in New Zealand, ended up in Brisbane with her after her 2 years in Tonga with VIDA and we've written letters to each other for more than 5 years! I feel like we've barely been apart. We hardly ever talk, ever email, only letters. I love it.


Plus, as if I needed even MORE alone time, I've somehow come to the decision that I should spend this week at a Buddhist Retreat. This is interesting given that I've spent the last 6 months in a near silent mode with plenty of reflection and getting-to-know-my-soul-time. What am I thinking???
However, this place comes highly recommended to me and I'm very curious, so I decided to make the plunge. I've never really done the 'meditation thing' except for several weeks at an ashram in India. Meditation was not my goal there (doing medical work was) but indirectly I was brought into the folds of the place and the next thing I know I'm in silence, eating only vego food and dressed in white! Interesting times....

Anyways, I'm sure my time at the Buddhist retreat will be great and just as memorable as my last. My protestant-loving-bible-belt-thinking-Dad naively told me to tell Buddha Hi. weirdo. ha

Here's to even more centering...

 

If I was a....

If I was a month, I’d be April.

If I was a day of the week, I’d be Tuesday.

If I was a planet, I’d be undiscovered.

If I was a sea animal, I’d be a turtle.

If I was a direction, I’d be due North.

If I was a piece of furniture, I’d be a secretary.

If I was a liquid, I’d be glue.

If I was a gemstone, I’d be in a showcase.

If I was a tree, I’d be a weeping willow.

If I was a tool, I’d be a sander.

If I was a flower, I’d be baby’s breath.

If I was a kind of weather, I’d be warm and breezy.

If I was a musical instrument, I’d be a harp.

If I was a color, I’d be mustard yellow.

If I was an emotion, I’d be security.

If I was a fruit, I’d be a Fuji red apple

If I was a sound, I’d be rustling leaves.

If I was an element, I’d be wind.

If I was a car, I’d be a 70’s volkswagon camper.

If I was a food, I’d be farm fresh, in season and organic.

If I was a place, I’d be a hidden valley in the mountains.

If I was a material, I’d be chenille.

If I was a taste, I’d be unforgettable.

If I was a scent, I’d be moss.

If I was a meal, the first of the day.

If I was a game, I’d be tic-tac-toe.

If I was a food, I’d be comfort.

photo credit: 12345

My Own Stitching

After being inspired by this work, I decided to try my own stitching. Now officially in party planning mode, I've stitched this onto an invitation, emailed it around the world & Mom is now printing it out and mailing it for me. (Did you know that the Postal Service in Australia is a private business? ... thus, postage is more expensive than at home (where it is government run)! Mailing a plain-old-letter to the US is $1.20 or $2.10 and one in Australia is 55 cents, I forgot...either way, pretty dear in my opinion. What does postage cost now in the US?)

Elizabeth & Benjamin, I hope you like!

Is this correct?

After making a purchase yesterday of a beautiful watercolor named "Bush Lady", I was forced to fill out this paper upon checkout. After a few attempts of explaining to the nice lady that truly I had no address, she took the paper from me and wrote this....

Community Life. Imanpa.

New Music: Elephant Revival

Elephant Revival

Love, Love, Love their style. Easy, Beautiful.

While you're reading this, listen to them!

(Deb, you'll love this!)

To sum them up, they say it best on their site:

In performance, Elephant Revival reveals hidden treasures deep within a vast repertoire of original material and a few carefully selected traditionals. In one show, the quintet can be seen delving into Scottish/Celtic fiddle tunes, original folk pieces, traditional ballads, psychedelic country, indie rock, powerful reggae grooves, 40s/50s jazz standards and an occasional hip-hop beat amongst other styles.

Aside from the fact that they have a beautiful sound, they tour in a vegetable oil powered 1989 International School Bus! (cool as....) They're on tour now; Unfortunately NO where near me!

April Review: Mighty Goals

pardon the indulgence.....

I’m a planner. This I cannot change. In many ways it is good: I’m the most efficient multi-tasker I know, I process a large amount of ideas into realistic, concerted goals, I am 100% reliable – If I say I will do it, I will, and I make a lot happen in many areas of my life giving me a lot of ‘ticks’ in my own prescribed boxes.


This, however, does not come without a few negatives: I can be annoying as hell when I’ve got a plan in my mind. Come hell or high water, I’m going to make it happen. My father can attest to this on our ‘free’ weekends together – I have him up at the crack of dawn, building, digging, making, or loading, depending on my imposed agenda for the day. That, or I sent him ‘to do’ lists (for me) electronically while I’m away.

Furthermore, I can easily zone out into my own world, ignoring the conversations or needs of those around me. Then, I can get really, really grumpy when something interferes with my flow or my agenda. I’d like to say I’m easy-going (and if I’m not on a mission, I am), but I’ll probably be short and snappy, especially if I have a deadline.

***

I say all this as part of a recent “1/3 year reflection session” I had with myself. As I discussed in a past blog post, I spent a big chunk of time this past New Years preparing for my year ahead. I diligently mapped out a large scale plan with 3-4 goals in 10 areas of my life : Work, Helping Others, Producing Creativity, Health & Fitness, etc. … Calling these my 'Mighty Goals'.

I used this template to help me.

As part of the large goal, I set aside Review Sessions in April and August to help me stay on track. (And secretly, I’ve been eagerly waiting for this to happen) I’m happy to report that I’m meeting/exceeding a majority of my goals. Things like: buy a farm, complete a Sprint Triathalon, attend an outdoor music festival will have to wait until I emerge from “the bush”!

In case any of you are as nerdy as me in your self-progress (i.e. having an Excel spreadsheet!), I highly encourage you to also take the time to outline your goals & know yourself more. Oprah says this is the what makes a person successful. (And if Oprah says it….!)

I’m happy to share with anyone interested any of the ways that work for me. This can be my financial spreadsheets tracking debt and savings, Life goal outlines, Mind Maps, Lists that I keep posted on visions, pipe-dreams, life achievements and partner qualities…as well as just my mindset. I’ve found that it’s an extremely personal journey of owning and defining one’s own life, but I’m happy to share! As well as….please share your own methods with me. I’m always open to new ideas.

Another bit from my NYears 2010:

What I commit to myself:

Just be Stephanie Jane.

Ask for What I want.

Trust that life will give me what I need.

Relish in my own unique, natural rhythm.

Attempt each day to purposely do one thing for my body, mind and soul. Balance.

Invest in those people and things that edify my spirit.

Be open to all the possibilities. Live life with energy and a 'Yes' mentality.

Don't be afraid to go for the love I want.

Let the people I love know. They deserve to know.

Act the way I want to feel. Own it!

Continue to respect myself more than anyone.

Showcasing Talent.

Come On Go With Us

This group of guys are from where the rich & famous are from: Columbus, MS, of  course! (my hometown)

Sweet, Southern Boys with an irrational drive to "make it", they've been on the road for almost a year, zig-zagging across the US of A. Every story showcasing all the effort it takes to live in a van, drive ungodly amounts of miles, eat on the road day-in-day-out, sleep in strangers' houses ... all for the sake of doing what they love: playing music!, humbles me (& wears me out!). I definitely couldn't do it, but love it that they can. Good, Bad, or Ugly, I simply love it when people follow their dreams. Find out more here, here and here.

Their music is now available on I Tunes.

(Chris, I'm only buying some when "my" porch song is released!)

Daniel Dugan

From way back in the days of the University of Alabama, this guy & I were friends on Capstone Men and Women. We equally pursued the Medical School dream (him, probably more so than me!), but in the end both of us pulled out at the last moment. Again, in the pursuit of following his biggest dream: acting, he moved to NYC and simply made it happen. Well, to be fair, I'm sure "simply" isn't what he would say, given all the time, energy and effort that he's given to get to where he is.

Check out his website or watch any one of his clips. He is so versatile: plays, commercials, TV, movies. After being on NBC's Law & Order, I won't be surprised to see what's next! Actor, talented: Hire him. Amazing guy, not to mention oodles of fun!

Casey Hudetz

One of my dearest friends from this summer's voyage with Semester at Sea, Casey documented nearly all of my travel...thankfully. With him around, I never needed my own camera; It was great! Although I got pretty jealous of how much time he spent with his Mac Computer making all of the videos, in the end, it's what he loves.

He has now made the jump and applied for what he considers his "dream job". After a lot of competition,

he's now officially in the Top 10 from all over the US of A! (this stands for something...)

Check out the website, watch his videos and help make this part of his story! Vote for Case.

The Farewell Drifters

I don't seem to have a very musical family. This is unfortunate and bit of a shock-to-the-system for a talented musican to marry into our family! Zach Bevill (middle in stripes) is the lead guitarist and lead singer for this band. I love their site! He too gives many of his life's hours traveling on the road for his dream: his music. His bluegrass band is great & my free CD from him is awesome! (Thanks, Zach!) My cousin and his wife, Marna Jane, married a fantastic guy, talented musician and a super sweet soul. Support his band and  have a look here and here. Buy some tunes!

Sustainable Men.

Recently, I snuck away from the NT for a long weekend visit to see two of my “most favoritest” of friends, Brent & Paul. Brent lured me there with a promised to “spoil me and treat me like a princess”; how can a girl resist?

After some time spent drooling over some of my favourite spots in Melbourne: a well visited cheese stall at the market, cafés in the endless laneways and my favorite Aussie designer at this shop, I took the five:30 up to Malmesbury, Victoria – a spot equally as spacious and charming as I imagined these two would live in.

I’m so glad I went – They were definitely gracious hosts in their new country abode. My visit was extraordinary: part educational, part relaxing, but mostly completely satisfying seeing old friends and engaging in their sustainable ways. I left amazed. And inspired. And quite insanely jealous of these two guys. They live a life that I sometimes catch myself daydreaming about and planning for myself.

Not only do they live in a completely self-sustaining house, but it is a strawbale house! (which is pretty damn cool), with a composting toilet, solar panels, and a rainwater catchment system. They can survive on stored energy for 4 cloudy days, cook on a wood burning stove, and are planning to dig a bore for water to fill the dam.

They make their own beer, press their own cheese, knead their own bread, plant their own garden and have their own chickens (+ plans for goats!). I'm totally in love.

I learned all about these systems, plus what killer sourdough bread tastes and looks like (humidity in the oven is the secret, I learned), how easy an EasiYo yogurt maker is (plus what a huge hole there has been in my life without one), and how to get lost in the forest with a dog that won't lead me home. Not to mention how beautiful cockatoos and parrots are in the front yard all day long, the secret recipes for nectarine & brandy jam, pickles and bread, and left with a bag full of yummy food goodies for my next community (I think Brent was worried about me!).

Ahh…..the good life, i.e. the country life. This is my spot.

I was in my own slice of green-sustainable heaven for four days, napping in hammocks, eating fresh bread, and being loved by these two. Thanks guys, for everything! Especially all the laughs and real meat!

As an aside, this same weekend coincided with the hugely media driven Earth Hour. I can’t help but stating my opinion here and now on this event; It’s my blog, right? I can do as I like.

First of all, I can respect the attempts, albeit meager, at engaging mainstream folks towards the dire needs of minimzining our environmental impacts. This is a good thing & any amount of hype is obviously needed since the majority of people live under a rock and choose to act uneducated on the topic. However, I cannot fully endorse such menial actions as cutting lights off for an hour as a way to acheive our goals. Somehow it felt cheap and blaze' to cut off lights for an hour & then pat myself on the back for a job well done. (In fact, we used candles ... and a corner lamp for the hour!). Secondly, what really get me is this: for those individuals out there who think it is too f**king hard to recycle their beer bottles, stop driving their huge SUV's, only buy bottled water and refuse to limit themselves on the excess carbon-rich activities in their life, this little Earth Hour trick was just what they needed to give them the false perception they were doing something good. Yes, certainly -- cut your lights off, but also your air-conditioners, dryers, toaster ovens and hairdryers more often than not. That -- and start giving a damn. You don't have to be an extremist, just make some changes! 1 Hour of 1 Night in 1 Year Doesn't Do shit, but give more reason to believe that your lights shouldn't be cut off every night for an hour. Earth Hour was a Crock. There, I said it. And that's all I have to say about that.

Meeting With Those I Meet Along the Way

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One of the joys of working as a casual/contract worker is the disposability (is that a word?) of your position. (I say this with huge jest! ) After being shifted between two communities this week, alas - I returned back to Imanpa, where I was posted only a few weeks ago. After a 2 second frustration spell, I thought : "Who the hell cares?" and off I went. As all things do, everything worked out in the end : I'm in a HUGE house, my own garden, nestled in a beautiful valley showcasing the most memorable sunrises and sunsets -- plus it's paved the whole way here! This is nice mainly because I'm fairly easy to get to so two friends are coming for a visit to see what Aboriginal life is all about. Yea for visitors! I think they get a kick out of being picked up in an Ambulance at a Roadhouse - Ha.   Here's to the good life.

As a side note, interesting people w/ a multitude of stories to tell cross my paths often out here. I admit that I sometimes lie in bed at night plagued by the idea that so many of these oldies will die off and their stories will go with them -- thinking that maybe I should be recording tales instead of doling out pills! Nevertheless, one of these men is Brownie Doolan, an old tracker. With a name like that, I'd be interested to know if he knew Betty Crocker. (joke) I recently met him in Finke. Anyways, Old fellow, skin that has seen many moons and a sweet disposition as he spends his days mostly in his front yard watching the world go by. He's been around, for sure, and has seen alot. A body of history. Literally.

Hand Sewn Invitation

I simply adore these wedding invites and can't help but look at them and think " I could totally do that "! One of my favorite hobbies (?) is being inspired by creative work that I gather from a huge array of blogs. I ran across this here and it was love at first sight. Know anyone getting married soon?

Hummus with Green Goo

Hummus with Green Goo...Yum!

This hummus keeps nicely, refrigerated, for a few days, but is best served at room temperature. As Heidi notes in her recipe, the hummus might thicken in the refrigerator. If this happens, you can simply thin it with a splash of water. Adjust with salt and lemon juice if needed as well. If you are sensitive to heat, you can deseed and devein the jalepeno.





Hummus:

1 pound / 453 g dried chickpeas, soaked in water for at least 4 hours, drained

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup water

scant 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt

1/3 cup / 80ml tahini

Green Goo

1/4 cup Italian parsley

1 jalapeño, destemmed

1 large clove garlic

scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

2/3 cup / 160 ml extra virgin olive oil

In a large pot cover the chickpeas with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the baking soda, and reduce the heat. Simmer, skimming any foam from the surface, until the chickpeas are soft but still structured, roughly an hour. Drain.

Place 4 cups / 1.5 pounds / 650 g of the cooked chickpeas in a food processor. You can set aside any remaining chickpeas and have them as a snack or use them in a stew or soup. To the food processor add the water, lemon juice, and salt. Process for three minutes or until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice along the way. If you like your hummus thinner add more water a small splash at a time. Add the tahini, process one more time. Taste and adjust the seasoning, add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl.

To make the "green goo" rinse out the food processor bowl, and use it again, and if you don't have a food processor, you can certainly do a hand-chopped version. Pulse the parsley, jalapeño, garlic, and salt in the food processor. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture while the processor is running, until an green emulsion is created. Transfer to a jar, taste, and adjust the seasoning.

Drizzle the hummus generously with the green goo. I realize now, I didn't use nearly enough in the photo up above.

Serve with pita chips, crackers, flatbread, or toasted lavash.

Makes 4 cups of hummus.

Stolen from one of my favorite sites, or link directly to it: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/hummus-with-green-goo-recipe.html

Southern Belle

Can't even site where I found this online. I like it!