28 January 2009
Snow Day
23 January 2009
Friday Nights (not really)
are typically lame around these parts. In fact, I am surprised that I am still awake. But I am enjoying the peace and quiet as Mark is out walking the dogs and the children are sound asleep. I pulled out some work to do from my backpack, but I can't bring myself to actually doing anything with it. That would be the ultimate in Friday Night Taboo.
So I just stretched like a cat warming up to his already warm spot and felt the tightness and the healing of my core from last night's yoga class. I am thankful that Mark was home on time and that I was able to go. I am even more appreciative that Parker taught the class. She began the evening not with Child's Pose as she typically does, but by saying, "Would you like to try something different tonight?"
Everyone moaned.
Parker is notorious for workouts that reveal brutal honesty about yourself. You can't help but be 100% aware in her class. Lots of things come up that have made me want to run away and hide, but she doesn't let you. Thank golly.
Then, after the noise lost its spark, she said, "Let's begin in shavasana."
Me, out loud, "Right on."
So we began lying flat on our backs, arms and legs loosely hanging by our sides, eyes closed, breath growing deeper with each inhale, exhale. completely. Letting go, balancing, centering, letting go.
Parker worked us from the ground up. We flowed into some yin poses, then up to all fours for a downward facing dog, a few chair poses, some twists, balancing half moon and a mangled tree (for me anyway... a little off balance), bird of paradise with a flying crow... I can't remember the sequence enough to write it (although I bet if I tried right now, I could physically work it out almost the way she instructed), but I do know that it was harmonizing, grounding, forgiving, restorative. And evidently and clearly Yoga Parker Style because my abs hurt like no one's business.
Our story came full circle when we ended in shavasana, which is the most challenging --and most rewarding--yoga pose of all. Next time you need a challenge, just lay there on your back with your eyes shut and relax. Can you stay present without "listing" everything you need to do? Can you resist dreamy unconsciousness? Can you acknowledge the fragments of thoughts that are interfering with the quiet, yet consciously let them go all at the same time?
I floated out of the studio drenched in sweat, glowing with renewed energy, and, of course, starving! Thank you, Parker, for teaching me yoga yesterday and for reminding me that I am teachable.
So I just stretched like a cat warming up to his already warm spot and felt the tightness and the healing of my core from last night's yoga class. I am thankful that Mark was home on time and that I was able to go. I am even more appreciative that Parker taught the class. She began the evening not with Child's Pose as she typically does, but by saying, "Would you like to try something different tonight?"
Everyone moaned.
Parker is notorious for workouts that reveal brutal honesty about yourself. You can't help but be 100% aware in her class. Lots of things come up that have made me want to run away and hide, but she doesn't let you. Thank golly.
Then, after the noise lost its spark, she said, "Let's begin in shavasana."
Me, out loud, "Right on."
So we began lying flat on our backs, arms and legs loosely hanging by our sides, eyes closed, breath growing deeper with each inhale, exhale. completely. Letting go, balancing, centering, letting go.
Parker worked us from the ground up. We flowed into some yin poses, then up to all fours for a downward facing dog, a few chair poses, some twists, balancing half moon and a mangled tree (for me anyway... a little off balance), bird of paradise with a flying crow... I can't remember the sequence enough to write it (although I bet if I tried right now, I could physically work it out almost the way she instructed), but I do know that it was harmonizing, grounding, forgiving, restorative. And evidently and clearly Yoga Parker Style because my abs hurt like no one's business.
Our story came full circle when we ended in shavasana, which is the most challenging --and most rewarding--yoga pose of all. Next time you need a challenge, just lay there on your back with your eyes shut and relax. Can you stay present without "listing" everything you need to do? Can you resist dreamy unconsciousness? Can you acknowledge the fragments of thoughts that are interfering with the quiet, yet consciously let them go all at the same time?
I floated out of the studio drenched in sweat, glowing with renewed energy, and, of course, starving! Thank you, Parker, for teaching me yoga yesterday and for reminding me that I am teachable.
19 January 2009
Correction
I realized that I messed up the recipe for smoothies . It's supposed to be kale, not kelp. Duh.
Going, Going... Green
Thanks to my friend Laura's green recommendation, Phin's bottom is finally on it's way to reducing it's biohazard footprint here on good ol' Mother Earth. How can an 8 month old go green, you ask? Well, we, the Kasubick's, have opted to use gDiapers. gDiapers were developed by an Australian family who was concerned about their childern's future on Earth. It is a flushable, compostable, or tossable biodegradable diaper. No plastic, no guilt, and virtually no mess... well, most of the time. AND the starter kit comes with a swizzle stick so that you can stir the contents of your bowl to break down the matter before you flush. Totally rad!
So, as I was trying to sell this new, environmentally friendly concept to my DH, we realized that we have really super old plumbing in our almost century old home. That means no flushing for us! Instead, we set up two trash bins in Phin's room--one for uber soiled refills, and another just for the wet ones that we will add to the garden compost. This is the cool thing--it will take about 50-150 days for these to break down as opposed to 500 years for a regular plastic diaper to decompose. Again, totally rad!
Needless to say, Phin's tushy is glad, groovy, guilt-free, gorgeous (hee, hee... I think so), and most importantly, GREEN.
So, as I was trying to sell this new, environmentally friendly concept to my DH, we realized that we have really super old plumbing in our almost century old home. That means no flushing for us! Instead, we set up two trash bins in Phin's room--one for uber soiled refills, and another just for the wet ones that we will add to the garden compost. This is the cool thing--it will take about 50-150 days for these to break down as opposed to 500 years for a regular plastic diaper to decompose. Again, totally rad!
Needless to say, Phin's tushy is glad, groovy, guilt-free, gorgeous (hee, hee... I think so), and most importantly, GREEN.
12 January 2009
Smoothie Recipe for Lex
My whole family loves smoothies. They are an easy, light meal/snack that packs a big nutritional punch. I started drinking them for three simple reasons:
1. I needed something to take in the car with me to work that wouldn't crumb everywhere;
2. I needed to get rid of rotten fruit in my refrigerator and I felt guilty pitching it (although, now I compost, but it has to be really, really, super disgustingly rotten to make way to the compost bucket);
3. My friend Judy Fitch had a Smoothie Card Deck. We were training for a marathon and needed a lot of protein.
After a few non-commital relationships with fruit in a blender, I finally settled on this recipe:
**1 banana (1 per person, adjust accordingly)
**A cup or so of frozen fruit (you can freeze anything; Whole Foods has affordable frozen fruit. I buy the 365 brand. When in season, I pick a bunch of blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries and freeze them. You can freeze bananas as well. Frozen peaches are yummy, too. Oh, and cherries!)
**8 oz or so of apple juice, pear juice pineapple juice, banana/orange juice, typically not from concentrate and with minimal/no added sugar
Zip it in the blender, pour, and enjoy.
Depending on what flavor you are trying to achieve, you can mix fruit families or keep them pure. I like a pure peach smoothie with apple juice or a berry blend, for example, but the banana is key as it provides the suspension.
Also, I tried using ice cubes once, but that just watered it down. Then, once while visiting my friend Laura, she inspired me to use frozen fruit as an alternative.
If you are really looking for a powerful antioxidant/immune booster, try this recipe that my friend Jen told me about:
1 banana
A handful of kelp (depending on what kind you buy, this will change the flavor slightly)
Pineapple juice
I used to add protein powder, but I get that from other places now. You can add peanut/almond butter, soy milk, or yogurt, but I prefer to keep this dairy/soy/nut free. Again, I get those essentials in other parts of my diet.
1. I needed something to take in the car with me to work that wouldn't crumb everywhere;
2. I needed to get rid of rotten fruit in my refrigerator and I felt guilty pitching it (although, now I compost, but it has to be really, really, super disgustingly rotten to make way to the compost bucket);
3. My friend Judy Fitch had a Smoothie Card Deck. We were training for a marathon and needed a lot of protein.
After a few non-commital relationships with fruit in a blender, I finally settled on this recipe:
**1 banana (1 per person, adjust accordingly)
**A cup or so of frozen fruit (you can freeze anything; Whole Foods has affordable frozen fruit. I buy the 365 brand. When in season, I pick a bunch of blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries and freeze them. You can freeze bananas as well. Frozen peaches are yummy, too. Oh, and cherries!)
**8 oz or so of apple juice, pear juice pineapple juice, banana/orange juice, typically not from concentrate and with minimal/no added sugar
Zip it in the blender, pour, and enjoy.
Depending on what flavor you are trying to achieve, you can mix fruit families or keep them pure. I like a pure peach smoothie with apple juice or a berry blend, for example, but the banana is key as it provides the suspension.
Also, I tried using ice cubes once, but that just watered it down. Then, once while visiting my friend Laura, she inspired me to use frozen fruit as an alternative.
If you are really looking for a powerful antioxidant/immune booster, try this recipe that my friend Jen told me about:
1 banana
A handful of kelp (depending on what kind you buy, this will change the flavor slightly)
Pineapple juice
I used to add protein powder, but I get that from other places now. You can add peanut/almond butter, soy milk, or yogurt, but I prefer to keep this dairy/soy/nut free. Again, I get those essentials in other parts of my diet.
07 January 2009
BW Part III
This one happened by accident. I didn't mean for it to be B/W, and if you look closely, it really isn't. I love the texture in this photo (certainly no more than I love the subject....). For this photo, I tried a graphic technique that desaturates the color so that the end result is an overprocessed, gritty image. I also applied a high pass filter, used hard light, and added some monochromatic noise. One word comes to mind for the final product: grundge. I lived it once and I am willing to live it again.
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