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A few months ago, I wrote of how a small piece of lint taught me a big lesson.  Basically, I discovered by the small act of  picking up a piece lint, I felt a rush of peaceful and powerful energy that remained with me for days.  The lint was bright white, the carpet was dark green.  That little piece of lint irritated me every time I walked past it, yet it took me several days of tiny little zings of irritation before I willfully made myself stop and pick the darned thing up.   The relief of seeing just a stretch of green carpet was almost magical.  Since then,  I am doing the inner work of consciously being aware of when something is negative or irritating and then taking the empowering step of changing it.  It sounds easy, but for me it can be difficult.  I find that more often than I’ve even realized, I am so locked in the thoughts in my mind that I will unseeingly walk right past obvious things, tolerate minor (and sometimes major) annoyances,  and feel uncomfortable without fully realizing it. I’ve  even been startled to realize that my thought is  “that’s just how it is and will always be” rather than “I have the power to either change it or change my attitude toward it; where do I start?”.

I got another perspective on this same subject when I was reading a book by Jeffrey A Wands, Knock and the Door Will Open – 6 Keys to Mastering the Art of Living.  In Key #4, Bring More Prosperity Into Your Life, he refers back to a self-assessment list that was an exercise in an earlier chapter of the book.  In the list, you were asked to write down the things you wanted to change, no matter how small or large.  He then asks you to look for the ones that in reality are easy to change.

Here is what he says: “If, for example, you said, “I hate my hair,” just stop wasting all that negative energy and go get a haircut or color it or straighten it or curl it.  Why would you spend so much time agonizing  – and therefore being negative – about something you can fix  so easily? If you’re too afraid to change something that simple, you’ll never be able to access the positive energy you need to change the things that really matter.”

That last sentence hit me with force.  I’ll repeat it: “If you’re too afraid to change something that simple, you’ll never be able to access the positive energy you need to change the things that really matter.”

So.  We can learn to face the large fears and to make the large changes by simply beginning to find the courage to begin changing the small things in life that we are tolerating.  I realized from this that reaching goals, becoming prosperous, and leading a simple, joyful life are really just learned skills and habits.

It all starts with recognizing what we would like to change, even if at the moment we think it is unchangeable.  Acknowledging the problem, changing our perspective to “what if I could change this?” and then to “how can I change this?” is really just a matter of consciously changing your habits.  Changing your habits will change your life.

It’s an awesome feeling.

In love and peace,

Patti

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“Can’t buy me love, can’t buy me love, no, no, no!” – Beatles

I’ve posted several low cost gift ideas on The Fat Dollar – take a look if you need last minute gift ideas.

There is also a  previous article of Frugal Gift Ideas that I recently updated

Both links have ideas, resources, and links to other sites to get your inspiration and creative ideas going!

It can be hard to find a gift that expresses your love and friendship, so I hope these ideas will really help.

Last week, on a cool, yet pleasant, day in November, I finished digging up the last row of potatoes in the potato bed. There was a strong breeze and mild sun, a good combination for digging in the garden. The wind smoothed my cheeks and tried to do wild things with my hair, but I had outsmarted the wind and worn my hair back in a ponytail.

Of all the vegetables that we grow, my favorite to harvest is the potato. It’s like digging for treasure. Each plant is a mystery – the size and location of the plant above ground does not always match the bounty of potatoes underground. No matter how I try to mark the plants, I still find potatoes in all sorts of unexpected places – in the middle of a row, or seemingly unconnected to any of the plants. Sometimes a potato just seems to appear out of nowhere on the shovel. I’ve finally decided that the best way to approach my potato beds is to pick one corner and start digging methodically until I’ve turned over every bit of soil in the bed.

Over the last couple of months, Chris and I have dug up one row and down another, sifting through the dirt and bringing up potatoes. We bring in enough for the next week or so, knowing that nature will take care of any potatoes we left in the beds and they will stay fresh outside underground until we are ready for them.

Each digging brings an odd assortment of potatoes – little golf ball sized ones, medium and large ones, and even a couple potatoes that are bigger than our hands. We marvel at them all, then brush them off and stack them up in a bag to carry inside.

There is nothing so good as a baked potato that was picked an hour or so before eating. Steamy, fluffy, soft, and full of flavors like fresh rain, and Great Lake winds. Maybe it’s just the satisfaction of knowing that we’re eating the harvest from our garden that makes them taste so good.

For me, I think the potato and the growing process seems a little magical. Growing them is based solely on faith – you can’t see them or even be sure they are there or what size they are until it’s time to harvest them. And unlike the fragile tomatoes that go squishy if not picked right away, the potato waits patiently in the ground, content to rest comfortably until I am ready to take it inside.

Tonight we are having our first heavy snow of the season. Not quite December yet, and we’ll have maybe 5-7″ of snow by morning. It seems like the right rhythm – the gardens finally cleared, the last of the potatoes harvested, and now the snow begins to fall as winter approaches.

We watched the snow fall and layer everything outside in white snow blankets, then we baked potatoes for dinner. All the while, I remembered the wind on my cheeks and the sun on the backs of my hands, and the mounds of earth from the work of my shovel. It’s a good memory and I’ll carry it through the winter.

What was paradise, but a garden full of vegetables and herbs and pleasure? Nothing there but delights.  – William Lawson

In peace,
Patti

Sometimes, things happen that are unexpected and sharply, deeply painful.  Sometimes they happen to someone you love.

When a loss is suffered, we might be tempted to try to minimize it,  to pretend it never happened, or even to try to explain it away.  Worse, we might even tell ourselves or our loved one, that this sort of loss is common, everyone gets over it, it’s not that bad.  We might even suggest that it shouldn’t hurt.  Shouldn’t we just get on with it?

Don’t give in to this temptation.

Denying the pain of loss also denies the experience of grief.  Grief is a process that allows us to go deeper into ourselves.  By experiencing grief and letting it unfold in full, we come to a place of acceptance and surrender.  Once we have reached this place, we can also let go of compulsive needs to explain, to question why, to blame, or to replay movies in our minds about the event and what we “should have” done.

At the end of grief, there may be times of lingering sadness, but the healing process has begun and we find ourselves ready to return to our life, however altered it now may be.  When we don’t allow ourselves to grieve or to acknowledge that something has been lost, we not only miss this vital step toward accepting and healing, but we also miss the opportunity to honor the precious thing that we have lost.

Acknowledging, remembering, and surrounding our loss with love brings a deep sense of peace.  It’s not something we can get to by rushing the grieving process, nor by refusing to experience the messy and painful stages of grief.

Acknowledge loss. Grieve, feel the pain, and move through the stages of healing.  Some losses may heal more quickly than others. Pay little attention to the length of time and give all your attention to simply experiencing and accepting.  Your healing will be complete, without places of festering, such as resentment, withdrawal, anger, blame, or guilt.  Your healing will bring a deep and cleansing peace. You may even come to realize a gift or a lesson that has come from your loss.

This is not to confuse deep peace with absence of any pain.  Great losses may cause moments of sadness, even years later.  Yet, if you experience that sadness from a core of deep peace, you will already know that it will subside and that any returning sadness will be something that you can bear.

Feel the pain, grieve, accept, surrender, heal.  It’s not easy, but it is the way to peace.

Namaste,

Patti

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.  ~ Kahlil Gibran

“The pain passes, but the beauty remains.” ~ Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

“To spare oneself from grief at all cost can be achieved only at the price of total detachment, which excludes the ability to experience happiness” ~ Erich Fromm (1900-1980)

As summer gave way to fall, I began harvesting the herbs from the garden.  Oregano, sage, thyme, basil, tarragon, to name a few.  I’ve patiently dried and crushed them, tray after tray, and now have wonderfully fragrant herbs carefully stored in glass Ball & Mason jars with neat little labels.  Row after row of jars.  It’s heavenly to open a quart-sized jar of basil and smell that sort of tangy-sweet aroma. Yes, I did say quart-sized jar. Good grief, I do have a lot of fresh-dried herbs. Pint sized jars, quart sized jars, all full of herbs, more herbs than I’ll use this winter (or the next five winters).

So, I’ve been on a mission to find uses for the herbs.   I’m just delighted whenever I find a recipe that uses generous amounts of herbs, or that I can tweak to fit.

This recipe is for Herbs and Cheese Bread.  I’m posting my recipe here for anyone who wants to try a recipe for a flavorful quick bread with herbs, and for those of us who have more garden herbs than we know what to do with!  I adapted it from a recipe I found on allrecipes.com (the original recipe was called Spicy Cheese Quick Bread)  If your cheese is already shredded, this should take about 15 minutes of prep time and be ready to eat about an hour after you put it in the oven.

HERBS AND CHEESE BREAD 

1-1/2 c unbleached flour

1/2 c whole wheat flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons oregano

1-1/2 teaspoons basil

1-1/2 teaspoons thyme

1/2 teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1-1/2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese (may substitute Cheddar or another cheese)

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

1-1/4 cups milk

1 egg

1/3 cup canola oil

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray or grease a 9×5 in loaf pan.

2.  Sift together flours, baking powder, salt, herbs, and garlic powder.  Place in a large bowl and stir in shredded cheese.

3.  With a fork or a whisk, thoroughly stir together melted butter, milk ,egg, and canola oil.  Pour mixture in bowl and stir gently until blended.  Do not overmix.

4.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

5.  Bake at 400 degrees for 35 – 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

6.  Cool until bread removes easily from the pan – about 10-20 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack and cool completely.

7.   Slice and serve.  Makes about 10-15 slices.

This bread is a good accompaniment to a meal, especially dishes like ravioli or spaghetti.  It should not need to be buttered to enjoy.  It is also good as a snack or as part of a light meal.  Today I had a great lunch of a slice of this bread and a cup of yogurt.

And best of all, it stores well.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

It’s hard to fully accept the news:  Steve Jobs has died.

Steve Jobs was a visionary and a genius in designing and marketing innovative tech products.  My iPod is one of my most prized possessions.

While volumes can (and likely will) be written about him and his career and hard-driven personality, I’d like to simply share a quote from his 2005 remarks to Stanford graduates.  It makes a powerful statement for each of us to consider:

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything–all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.” – Steve Jobs *

May he find peace, and may his family find comfort.

Patti

* source:  CNet Staff Article  Apple Co-Founder, Chairman Steve Jobs dies

It was just a small piece of lint.  A little piece of white fuzz on a dark green carpet.  It sat there on the freshly vacuumed floor and every time I walked past, it seemed like a little spotlight shone on it.  Worse, I felt a subtle little zing of irritation each time I noticed that little speck of lint.

I had bigger things to be concerned with than a piece of lint on the carpet. In fact, whenever I spotted the lint, it was more like a side glance, something that I saw and vaguely registered, but it never quite fully got my attention.  I remember some of my passing thoughts: “I’m in a hurry, Chris (my DH) will get that.”  “I’ll get that next time I vacuum.”  “Boy that really stands out on the carpet!”  “That makes the whole carpet look dirty!”  “Why did that lint have to show up right there?” “Oh, is that still there?”  They were more like whispers in the background of the more pressing thoughts on my mind.

I had walked past that darned piece of lint at least a dozen times before the full realization hit me:  I was experiencing a little distraction and a little zing of stress every time I saw it.  I stopped in my tracks, turned around, picked up the offending lint and deposited it in the trash.  When the lint was gone, I was startled at how much better I felt.  The feeling was even more powerful when looked at the now lint-free stretch of carpet.

Picking up the lint took no longer than 15 seconds, yet the repeated noticing of it had given me at least a dozen unpleasant zings before I took any action.

The feeling of relief from removing that tiny piece of repeated irritation was almost exhilarating.   That moment of bliss is what really got my attention.  I started thinking about all the seemingly small things that I notice in my life, yet never really focus on, and simply tolerate.  How much was I tolerating or ignoring that was causing me little zings of stress on a regular basis?

That’s when I decided to do my best to be more aware of my surroundings and especially be more aware of  seemingly insignificant things that were causing any degree of unpleasantness.  I made a choice to immediately correct those little things that I noticed and that could quickly be fixed. Notice that I did not choose to actively look for irritants.  In contrast, I made a choice to be aware of my own reactions and to pay attention when I felt a zing.  The result was surprising:  it made a big difference to my sense of self-esteem and my sense of power to improve my world.

Being aware of the things I was merely tolerating – the things that were making constant little scratches on my sense of peace – was a subtle shift that made a noticeable difference in my stress level.  Just recognizing and respecting that something bothered me, rather than forcing myself to ignore it, brought a sense of peace.  It didn’t even have to be something that I could change.  Simple identification and acknowledgement was healing in itself.

It’s easy to try:  Just be aware of your feelings.  If you notice a bit of tension, irritation, or even something vaguely unpleasant, then take a moment to focus.  What caused it?  Once you see the cause, is it something you can fix in just a few seconds?  Then fix it, say it, or take care of it.  Otherwise, if you can’t change it, take a moment to feel that sense of relief from respecting your feelings and acknowledging that something is bothering you.  It seems to lose it’s power over you that way.

Amazing that something as insignificant as a piece of lint would have made such a change in my life.

With love and peace,

Patti

We planted our tomatoes a week or two late, so we have just begun harvesting the first rich, red tomatoes.  There is no comparison in flavor to a tomato fresh from the vine.  The supermarket tomatoes may be red, but they usually lack the full spectrum of taste of freshly picked garden tomatoes.

Right now we are enjoying one or two tomatoes a day as they ripen.  In about two or three weeks, that will all change.  Most likely, we’ll have a dozen or more tomatoes ripening at a time as all those green tomatoes start turning red in earnest – and all at once.

Even after making some really excellent dinners (tacos, burritos, all variety of  salads, salsa, spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, tomato soup, to name a few), there will still be tomatoes to deal with.

Perhaps the best method I have found for storing these tomatoes for using at a later date is to freeze them.  The method I use is quick, easy, and the tomatoes stay bright red, tasty, and ready for cooking for up to a year.

Basically, you just carefully wash and de-stem the tomatoes.  Then you cut the tomatoes into wedges, put them in labeled freezer bags, squeeze out as much air as possible and then stack the bags in the freezer.  The tomatoes can be kept in the freezer for up to a year, although they are best used within 3 months.

Frozen tomatoes can be used in cooking and will substitute for fresh or canned tomatoes in most cooked or simmered dishes.  They lose their texture in the freezer, so they should not be used for non-cooked dishes such as a garden salad.

There is a detailed article with photo illustrations on the Simple Life website How to Freeze Fresh Tomatoes, the Quick, Easy Way.

Soon the garden will be overflowing with tomatoes.  There will be a few butternut squash, too, but not as many as last year.  The garden is already bursting with shiny green peppers, a long list of herbs, onions, and cucumbers in profusion.  The potatoes will be ready to dig soon and it looks like there are going to be a lot of them, too.  I can’t help but feel a sense of wonder.  When I stand next to the garden, I feel so awed at the generosity and beauty of nature.

And now I’d better get to those weeds.

Patti

PS  In case you were wondering, that is a photo taken last year of the tomatoes in my garden.  And yes, I froze a lot of tomatoes last year!

One very powerful shift toward bringing abundance in your life is to first recognize and appreciate what you already have. Without this approach toward your life, it will not matter how much you have. As you acquire things, you will quickly become dissatisfied with them and want something more, something different, or something “better.”

In this light, by opening your awareness of your present life, nearly every day you will discover a hidden resource, an unrecognized skill, an unappreciated treasure, or a moment of pure joy. Believe me, they are there all around you. Pay attention and see what you find. You already have an amazing life.

Perhaps you are afraid to honor or enjoy your current life or surroundings because you fear that it will stop you from gaining more abundance, beauty, or personal freedom. You may be afraid that by liking and being grateful for what you have, a Higher Power will decide that you do not need or deserve any more. You will stay “stuck” where you are.

Quite the opposite is true. In his classic work, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill emphasizes that in order to move into wealth and success, one must first start right where he is and give and do his best, with deep appreciation for and enjoyment of each step.  At the same time, one expresses his desires with quiet confidence. This brings the energy into your life to begin your expansion to more opportunity and opens the pathways to your goals.

In The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Wattles describes exactly the same concept.  He lays out a method, which he calls the Certain Way, which begins exactly where you are in your present business and present location.   He shows how giving your best efforts and best appreciation to exactly where you are now will have dramatic effects on bringing valid and desired success into your life.

Take note that both of the above works define “rich” in far broader and deeper terms than just having money.  For both of these men, “rich” meant doing work that is loved, having abundance flow easily, nurturing deep relationships, giving of oneself to the greater good of the community, finding great joy in everyday life, and having all of the personal possessions and money that is truly wanted and needed.

Think of this concept in this way:  Say that you as a parent gave your child a nice outfit to wear, but your child paid little attention to it, didn’t take care of it and worse, hardly said thank you! In fact, your child just complained about the over-priced designer outfit that they wanted instead.  How many more nice outfits would you buy this child?  But what if, instead, your child cherished everything you gave them, was genuinely grateful, enjoyed how they looked in the outfits, and did their best to take care of them?  At the same time, your child expressed interest and appreciation, without a sense of demand and in no way diminishing what he already has been given, in additional outfits.  Wouldn’t you be inclined to provide more when possible, already knowing how much your child would appreciate it?  The Universe works this way, too.

So take a look around.  Where are you, right now?  What job?  What home?  What relationships? Are you giving 100% to each of them?  Or are you neglecting them, perhaps feeling resentful, bored, or trapped?  Start right there.  You have the power to recognize the good sections, give your personal best, and open the doors to all that the Universe would love to offer you.  It’s your move.

In peace and encouragement,

Patti

It’s fun to get away from the house and do something different.  It can be a way to reconnect with your spouse and/or kids, or it can just be a good change of atmosphere.  Doing something that is out of your routine is mentally stimulating and can really add some vibrancy to your creative energy.

One smart day trip would be to find a local museum that is offering free admission.  The Fat Dollar (thefatdollar.com) website has a blog post Without Dollar One to Spend – Searching for Museums With Free Admission that gives some excellent links and methods for finding museums with free entry.

Perhaps the fastest way to find a no-entry-fee museum would be to search for and call your local museums.  Most museums will have an occasional free entry day or a free event day.

You can also search through your cards and memberships to see what benefits may come with the card.  For example, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch have cardholders’ program,  Museums on Us,  for free admission on specific days to about 150 museums.   Certain libraries in Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota are participating in Macy’s Museum Adventure Pass program.  And active members of the military and their families can visit museums for free under the Blue Star Museums program.

Search your phone book, local visitor’s center, do some google searches, make a phone call or two, and you may just find yourself with a free museum admission.

Enjoy!