Cobbler

This is my plush cat Cobble

And  this is Cobbler, Peach.

Books

I went to the Library at Alexandria yesterday and borrowed a few books. I get such a kick out of saying I went to the Alexandria Library when in truth I patronised the Public Library System of the City of Alexandria, Virginia. While I was on the search for fiction, I checked out the cookery books as well. The few vegan or gluten-free titles they had were classed with the “health food” and “reducing diet” cookbooks.

Really?

Four Pieces of Advice

Four Pieces of Advice

What did my mother teach me how to do?

What didn’t my mother teach me how to do?!

Let’s not go there. We are spiritual beings having a material experience, and material experiences have limitations.

Meta-discussion out of the way (not sorry, as a religion scholar, I must always make such concessions), here’s a recipe and the advice.

Gingerbread on the Fly

 Every artist is a cannibal

Every poet is a thief

Both kill their inspiration

And sing about the grief

--U2, “The Fly,” from Achtung Baby (1992)

Why am I sharing my signature dish? Why not. It’s carried me through pre-ganism (when I was testing out this vegan thang because I thought it would keep me safe from other issues with food…subject for another post). It’s carried me through breakfast, lunch, supper, and snacks as a vegan and likewise when I became gluten-free.

Convictions and Biscuits

Circle 'round the wagons and pull up a rock or log to the firepit, folks...

While walking on Friday morning, that small, still voice said to me,

There will be voices and they will tell me what to do.

Let's take a step back and not breathe in the smoke from the fire too much. In the abundant sunlight as I was walking outside, I felt warm when I heard this. I was reassured. In recent memory, this is the second conviction I have had, have received. From whom or what, I can't tell you because I don't know.

Disconnected

You'll receive what you give

And this is like nothing

I feel like shit

But at least I feel something

"Disconnected" by In Flames

Artistically and technically, the above song isn't hot stuff, but I appreciate the directness of the lyrics.

For a rainy Monday, I made this spiced cake to warm up the space, to edge out the creeping voidness, the damp, cold snot of springtime. More specifically, the limp, clammy grip of another spring spent alone. I used to look with scorn on the coupled people I'd see holding hands around town and on Princeton's campus. Now I see I was jealous. Still jealous! A little self-care can go a long way to putting me in the right place to alleviate said loneliness, even while still alone.

Food Flashback and Labels

This is the 179th blog post on Gothic Granola, formerly Screwfoot Q. It's time to make a 180 degree turn on some issues.

Cake and ____

Stare at blank paper every morning, every day and you will overcome the fear of The Blank Page. As a matter of course, you will begin to overcome other fears of beginnings and unknowns, as well. I hadthis insight about Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages exercise from The Artist’s Way while taking today’s walkies. In walking the last two days, I’ve uncovered two more nonnegotiables. I must make time to take a 20-70 minute walk each day. Walking not only relieves mental constipation, it’s frickin’ essential after being inside each day to remind the body, “You live on the Earth, not in buildings above theearth. This is where you come from. This is where you’ll go.”

On Work

They don't pay me to think anymore, so I tend to think hard anyway. When I'm speeding home from closing shift, downing 800 mL to 1 L of water in order to rehydrate while blasting Rage Against the Machine, my mind runs in high gear. It's time to write.

It's difficult to be consistent in other areas of life when one's job is inconsistent. Let us begin with this premise. Being a cashier and having a standing sedentary job is no more healthy than being a desk jockey with a sitting sedentary job. The inconsistent hours, workload, and cast of characters is beginning to wear on me. When a job begins to impact my health negatively, in preventable ways, then it's time to go. This is a job, not my career.

Tailspin

A video primer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsQTzxzDYjw

So Many Things

Today's post has been sidelined by real life. Will resume Thursday.

Cut and Dried: Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

Or in this case, apricot.

Gourmet for A One

As I am going to be a panelist on the Words Made Flesh: Intersections of Sexuality, Gender Identity, and Spirituality panel at my alma interfectoris LGBT alumni conference next weekend, I wanted to share a symbol I now wear on my right hand.

As there’s no way to tell if a person’s ace(asexual) without asking them, the ace ring was born on AVEN or another similar online forum (symbology here; check out this blog post for details on the ring).

Running to the Sea and Cookies

I play mindgames with myself while running. Running towards someone is much more inspiring than running away from something, in my experience (when it’s a thought experiment, anyway). 

Running from zombies would of course be a different story.