Just Right

Goldilocks tried out bowls of porridge, chairs and beds, to find the ones that were just right. When this child wandered into the home of the three bears, I assume that the bears were out doing work, or getting their exercise, or attending choir practice. Maybe baby bear was climbing trees or swimming with a friend.

It is not only food, chairs, and beds that need to be just right. It is also good to have just the right amount of STRESS, especially since stress is so closely tied to health and happiness. I notice over and over, that in my life I have a steady, reliable lack of stress. It is so little, in fact, that it may not be enough! Stages of life have something to do with it. While the 30- and 40- somethings are trying to find a non-toxic paying job, raise small chidren, attend that board meeting, do the laundry, squeeze in exercise, and eat together as a family each evening, I am figuring out how to watch less TV and do more artwork!

The days I like best, are the ones where I grab studio time, and make something of it. Those are good days! I am currently working on a commission for the state of Wyoming. These photos show my studio and reference photo for the project.

Fabrics with Fusible Web

Getting Started

Donkey Photo

Did you know that some kinds of stress are good for longevity? Sometimes being too hot, too cold, or too hungry is actually a good thing? I practice being too hungry every day, fasting from 6 pm to 11 am. I’ve been doing this for several years, and I recommend it, in part because eating and cleaning up breakfast takes time from your day. I have recently added the practice of being too cold some of the time. This is very easy to do in Wyoming winter, and you scarcely notice when you’re well occupied. Exercise is another good kind of stress.

There are bad kinds of stress too, such as lack of sleep, eating processed food, and dealing with negative people. Dear reader, are you one of the people with too much stress? Do you have time to finish reading this blog? Borrow from Buddhism! Accept things you can’t change. Stop grasping. Let go. Breathe. Spend time with friends. Weed out some stuff. Try to get to a place in your life where the amount of stress is just right.

And now a recipe. I can’t believe that in all this time, I have not already talked about the easy and delicious frittata. You basically saute′ some vegetables, add beaten eggs, and cook until done. (After cooking I let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.) The cook can add left over meat, beans, or quinoa before the eggs are added. You can top the fritatta with cheese, sour cream, or chopped tomato and herbs. Confetti Frittata: Saute′ diced purple onion and red or yellow bell pepper. Add spinach until just wilted. Add diced artichoke hearts. After the pan is warm, add beaten eggs and cook until set. Top with a mix of yogurt, mustard and dill.

(I am not actually using artichoke hearts. I am using prepared sunchokes, because this is a plant that we grow. They taste a lot like artichoke hearts, and after preparing, look like potato. If you can find them fresh or grow them, they are tasty. Wash sunchokes and dice into small chunks. Put in pot with juice of one lemon, salt, and water to cover. Simmer 30 minutes. Store in a jar with the liquid until you use them in a recipe.)  

Sunchokes