On My Mind Today

As the sun rises on a late winter's day, thoughts of the to-do list fade away. What if our plan takes a turn, what if we walk away for a day. At home we see what must be done, and can find no way to hold back. Just one more thing before we stop, next thing we know the day is gone. Leave it behind and take a break, never know what we might see. Take a long ride, soak up the sun, and see what the journey will be. One place always seems to beckon, as longer days bring a bit of warmth. The coastline calls out our name, like a long-lost friend of the past. Meander along slowly, take your time, and enjoy every sight and sound. Open the window, breathe in the sea breeze, and listen to the crashing waves. Your mind says go slow, no reason to rush, the adventure will end far too soon. Tomorrow we will look back fondly on, the magic of a day with a brief escape.

Whether you believe or not, all of us have had those moments when we can't find a reasonable explanation for things that happen in our lives. That one thing that keeps popping up in your face that you finally realize is a message - a message trying to guide you in a certain direction. You may not know why, but perhaps it's trying to keep you from harm, bring someone to help you, or send you to lift up someone in need.    If we are open, and will listen, these messages can be precious gifts not only to us, but to others also. A chance meeting that brings people together at just the moment it's needed. The stranger that strikes up a conversation with us on a difficult day, with a message and smile that lifts us up, and changes the trajectory of our day. It can also be as simple as a song on the radio, the beautiful call of the birds or a gentle breeze blowing in our face which can make us stop for a moment or two. And in those brief moments our thought process can be redirect

There is nothing better on a cold winter day than a bowl of delicious hot soup. This recipe comes from Carrie Cooks at carriecooks.com . The recipe calls for turkey sausage, but I substituted ground sweet Italian sausage that I browned with the onions. It is filled with an abundance of flavor and is rich, cheesy and creamy. Carrie uses an Instant pot, but I used my slow cooker, and it worked well. This will be a definite addition to my recipe collection. Instant Pot Tortellini Soup 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 lb.  spicy or mild turkey sausage raw, casing removed (or ground Italian sausage) ½ teaspoon garlic powder minced 4 cup vegetable broth 4 cup cheese tortellini 4 oz baby greens (spinach, chard, kale etc.) ½ teaspoon dried basil 4 oz Cabot  cream cheese ½ cup light cream 3 oz Cabot Farmhouse Reserve Cheddar, grated salt and pepper to taste Add olive oil and turkey (or Italian) sausage in the inner pot of Instant pot and select “Sauté”. Or use a sauté  pan. Add

 On one of those bright, sunny February days, my mind wanders to the spring season that will eventually arrive. The groundhog says that spring will arrive early this year; I am hopeful that he is correct in his prediction. We all know that there will still be a few snowstorms to contend with, but I have to believe the worst of winter is over. That belief is the one thing that will propel me to brighter, warmer days. In the meantime, as I impatiently await its arrival, I will fill my mind of things to come. If I close my eyes and feel the warmth of the sun on my face, so many things seem real: I can see the water opening up on the lake as the sun melts away the last bits of ice. The snow that once covered the flower bed has disappeared and has been replaced with visions of spring seedlings popping up through the dirt. If I close my eyes, I can see the birds that have returned, and hear them singing their beautiful songs.  I can smell the fresh earth that has been enriched by the snow

We all know that the fountain of youth does not exist.  How we age depends on a few things - how well we take care of ourselves, the amount of stress in our lives, and the largest factor is genetics. If we are lucky, we come from a great gene pool. However, if we watch all the ads for age defying beauty creams and lotions you would think that every one of these lotions and potions can turn back the hands of time. Just look at the models they show us who look absolutely amazing. Of course, if the truth were to be told most of them may be late 30's or early 40's at best. Their skin should look good at that age. If only it were true, that they could work miracles on us. If used on a regular basis, there are some of these products that can help enhance how our skin looks. After all, if we take care of our skin and use a good moisturizer it will definitely help, but in the end, we are who we are. I would love to see true and responsible advertising. Show me a woman in her 50's,

Over the years friends have shared some of their favorite recipes with me. This one was given to me more than twenty years ago and became a favorite in our house. Recently I was looking for something different to make and rediscovered it. Nothing better than the aroma of apples and cinnamon baking in the oven. Still as great as I remember, and I'm sure it will be a hit with your family and friends. Apple Bread   1 cup sugar 1/2 cup shortening 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups pared apples, chopped 1/2 cup nuts Topping: 1 Tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon   1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour loaf pan 9x3x5. 2. Mix 1 cup sugar, shortening, eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until smooth. Stir in apples and nuts and then spread in pan.   4. Mix 1 Tablespoon sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle over batter. Bake until wooden pick inserted into the cente

 Hu mans instinctively have a need to belong to small groups that have a purpose and understanding – a “tribe”. Although this tribal connection has been almost lost in much of society, bringing it back may be paramount to our intellectual and emotional survival. Perhaps we should look at the Navajo Nation for inspiration. Many Native American tribes have decreased their numbers, disappeared or lost their homelands, language or culture. The Navajo Nation has done the opposite, and now have over 300,000 members. Their geographical isolation and cultural flexibility have played a large role in this, making them the largest American Indian tribe in the United States. When the Navajo reservation was established in 1868 it consisted of roughly 3.3 million acres of land. By acquiring more land over the years their reservation now covers over 17 million acres in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. They have retained their identity and been selective about adopting new practices which has allowed the

Our days are filled with many sounds, sometimes difficult to escape. They fill our mind with confusion, and we struggle to break away. Repetitive stories on the morning news, can sometimes overwhelm. With opinions from many talking heads, all pushing to be the first one heard. Prepare the breakfast and clean it up, helping hands are hard to find. Feed the animals, make the bed, and see what else needs to be done. So many projects are on our list, that we never know where to start. At times it seems so much easier, to leave them for another day. Appointments to go to and errands to run, how will we manage to fit it all in. Our calendar that once seemed so open, somehow was quickly filled in. As another the day comes to an end, we wonder where the time has gone. Our head is still swimming with, far too many swirling sounds. Tomorrow as the sun begins to rise, we make a promise to ourselves. Before the sun sets on another day,  we will have a sliver of peace and solitude.