Monday, March 31, 2014
Friday, March 07, 2014
Last fall I was deleting some junk e-mail when I saw a Groupon deal for a weekend at Yogaville. I'd heard about Yogaville, an asram built in the middle of rural Virginia. It's been there about 30 years and has good town/gown relations, bringing jobs and even running a credit union for the local area. I thought for $85 dollars for two nights including meals and yoga practice, this would be an opportunity to do something a bit outside my usual comfort zone. I put off making my reservations because of the holidays and then the weather and finally I was within two weeks of the coupon expiring. It was now or never.
The weekend
They call it a "Welcome Weekend" which includes your room and board (vegetarian meals) and yoga, meditation, and some lectures about Integral Yoga and the yogic lifestyle and how to incorporate the philosophy into your normal life. The schedule was busy yet unhurried. Up at 5:30 am for meditation at 6 am, which was followed by Hatha yoga and then breakfast at 8 am. Quiet hours - no talking - between 10 pm and 8 am. Following breakfast you could attend the lectures or do you own thing - there is a coffee shop, a library, and lots of hiking trails. Then at 4 pm you have another hour of meditation, another hour of Hatha yoga, and then dinner. Following dinner there is a program about Integral Yoga including music and chanting.
On Friday evening I took the opportunity to visit the Lotus Shrine which is an amazing pink and purple circular building in a gorgeous spot on the river bank. On Friday nights it is illuminated and as I drove through the windy road to reach it the view was like something from outer space that had landed there. It was beautiful but I can only imagine what these rural Virginians thought as it was being built. I spent a bit of time meditating in the rotunda area and it was a most peaceful, ethereal experience. You felt but entirely alone yet entirely surrounded by love. It was like an oasis in the desert but it was an oasis of the spirit.
The end
The schedule repeats each day so by the time I left I'd had at least 4 hours of meditation and 4 hours of yoga and I felt great! I drove back home, back to reality and an impending snow storm. I knew I could never be as dedicated to my yoga practice as I'd like; I'm just too lazy. But I knew I would find a way to put 15 - 30 minutes of meditation into my schedule both morning and evening, and they had also taught me that yoga doesn't have to an hour and half at the gym, it could be 15 minutes of sun salutations and a few good stretches to relieve your tensions and assist your body. I've been doing that the last few days and I really do feel better. It also got me in touch with my inner hippie which had been in hiding for so many years. No, I'm not going to run away and join the ashram, but I do intend to live a more mindful, peaceful life. Service to others can take many forms and sometimes my service will be to just "let it go" and not try to solve it.
The next trip
Will I go again? I'd like to buy my inner cheapskate will have to wait for another Groupon deal. And I also don't really want to share this experience with anyone. My husband knows how much I enjoyed and now he wants to go. He would hate it and I would feel like I had to keep him happy and entertained and it was be a.w.f.u.l. My best friends would want to stay in the private rooms and make it into a slumber party and they'd complain about the food in a nice, but complaining way and I don't think they would appreciate the experience in the same way that I did. I think I need to wait a long time so that my enthusiasm is not so upfront and I can sneak away alone. Not a very sharing thought but .......
The trip
So Friday morning I headed off through the back roads of Virginia. It was a route that I knew very well. Narrow, curvy, hilly roads that I had driven for years to get to Kentucky to see my grandmother and to get to my son in boarding school. I could drive those roads with my eyes closed except you can't. You have to have a good grip on the steering wheel, a good sense of how to drive through curves, and a confidence that I found I hadn't lost. It was beautiful but changed. A bit more sprawl outside of Fredericksburg before getting to The Wilderness. Yes, it really is named The Wilderness. The Civil War battle of The Wilderness was fought here as were some Revolutionary War battles. This is an area rich in America's early history. Then on through the small little towns, no more than a crossroads, then crossover the Interstate, and deep into a rural area where gas stations still have one pump with the little tabs that drop to let you know your amount and cost, no digital stuff here. I passed rolling farmland, small little homes, amazing Virginia horse farms, and dense woods. Some fields were turning green which was a welcome sight given our cold winter and the snowstorm that was yet to come.
So Friday morning I headed off through the back roads of Virginia. It was a route that I knew very well. Narrow, curvy, hilly roads that I had driven for years to get to Kentucky to see my grandmother and to get to my son in boarding school. I could drive those roads with my eyes closed except you can't. You have to have a good grip on the steering wheel, a good sense of how to drive through curves, and a confidence that I found I hadn't lost. It was beautiful but changed. A bit more sprawl outside of Fredericksburg before getting to The Wilderness. Yes, it really is named The Wilderness. The Civil War battle of The Wilderness was fought here as were some Revolutionary War battles. This is an area rich in America's early history. Then on through the small little towns, no more than a crossroads, then crossover the Interstate, and deep into a rural area where gas stations still have one pump with the little tabs that drop to let you know your amount and cost, no digital stuff here. I passed rolling farmland, small little homes, amazing Virginia horse farms, and dense woods. Some fields were turning green which was a welcome sight given our cold winter and the snowstorm that was yet to come.
Arrival
I arrived at Yogaville to find a modern complex built around a quad, much like some small little college. Modern wooden buildings - two dormitories on one side, a dining hall and reception area across the quad, and a library on one side and "classrooms" on the other. They also have some motel-like private rooms available back on a hill. I checked in and got my room assignment for the weekend. I was greeted by a middle aged man wearing white flowing pants and top, who looked like his "other job" may have been as an accountant. He handed my my schedule, the booklet of all the info about Yogaville - it's history, rules, maps, and explanations of the philosophy - and pointed out my dorm. I was assigned a bunk bed sharing a room with three 25-20 year olds. I'm certain they were surpirsed to see me there. I was one of the older people attending for the weekend, not the oldest, but the average age was probably more around 50, mostly women.
I arrived at Yogaville to find a modern complex built around a quad, much like some small little college. Modern wooden buildings - two dormitories on one side, a dining hall and reception area across the quad, and a library on one side and "classrooms" on the other. They also have some motel-like private rooms available back on a hill. I checked in and got my room assignment for the weekend. I was greeted by a middle aged man wearing white flowing pants and top, who looked like his "other job" may have been as an accountant. He handed my my schedule, the booklet of all the info about Yogaville - it's history, rules, maps, and explanations of the philosophy - and pointed out my dorm. I was assigned a bunk bed sharing a room with three 25-20 year olds. I'm certain they were surpirsed to see me there. I was one of the older people attending for the weekend, not the oldest, but the average age was probably more around 50, mostly women.
About Yogaville
You should looked it up here - yogaville.org. In addition to weekend and short-stay guests, it also has long stay residents, some permanent, some in a transition phase where they can stay and do work for the ashram in exchange for a bed and three meals a day. There is also a requirement that they participate in the yoga and meditation activities. At the beginning of the recession NPR did a story on how to survive when you lost your job that talked about moving to Yogaville. There were also the scattering of "lost children", those young people who were searching for themselves 1960's style. And there were the "lost adults" who didn't find themselves during the 1960's and 1970's and were trying again. Some people were just taking a respite from their lives, staying a month or so to recharge. And then there were us weekend people.
You should looked it up here - yogaville.org. In addition to weekend and short-stay guests, it also has long stay residents, some permanent, some in a transition phase where they can stay and do work for the ashram in exchange for a bed and three meals a day. There is also a requirement that they participate in the yoga and meditation activities. At the beginning of the recession NPR did a story on how to survive when you lost your job that talked about moving to Yogaville. There were also the scattering of "lost children", those young people who were searching for themselves 1960's style. And there were the "lost adults" who didn't find themselves during the 1960's and 1970's and were trying again. Some people were just taking a respite from their lives, staying a month or so to recharge. And then there were us weekend people.
The weekend
They call it a "Welcome Weekend" which includes your room and board (vegetarian meals) and yoga, meditation, and some lectures about Integral Yoga and the yogic lifestyle and how to incorporate the philosophy into your normal life. The schedule was busy yet unhurried. Up at 5:30 am for meditation at 6 am, which was followed by Hatha yoga and then breakfast at 8 am. Quiet hours - no talking - between 10 pm and 8 am. Following breakfast you could attend the lectures or do you own thing - there is a coffee shop, a library, and lots of hiking trails. Then at 4 pm you have another hour of meditation, another hour of Hatha yoga, and then dinner. Following dinner there is a program about Integral Yoga including music and chanting.
On Friday evening I took the opportunity to visit the Lotus Shrine which is an amazing pink and purple circular building in a gorgeous spot on the river bank. On Friday nights it is illuminated and as I drove through the windy road to reach it the view was like something from outer space that had landed there. It was beautiful but I can only imagine what these rural Virginians thought as it was being built. I spent a bit of time meditating in the rotunda area and it was a most peaceful, ethereal experience. You felt but entirely alone yet entirely surrounded by love. It was like an oasis in the desert but it was an oasis of the spirit.The end
The schedule repeats each day so by the time I left I'd had at least 4 hours of meditation and 4 hours of yoga and I felt great! I drove back home, back to reality and an impending snow storm. I knew I could never be as dedicated to my yoga practice as I'd like; I'm just too lazy. But I knew I would find a way to put 15 - 30 minutes of meditation into my schedule both morning and evening, and they had also taught me that yoga doesn't have to an hour and half at the gym, it could be 15 minutes of sun salutations and a few good stretches to relieve your tensions and assist your body. I've been doing that the last few days and I really do feel better. It also got me in touch with my inner hippie which had been in hiding for so many years. No, I'm not going to run away and join the ashram, but I do intend to live a more mindful, peaceful life. Service to others can take many forms and sometimes my service will be to just "let it go" and not try to solve it.
The next trip
Will I go again? I'd like to buy my inner cheapskate will have to wait for another Groupon deal. And I also don't really want to share this experience with anyone. My husband knows how much I enjoyed and now he wants to go. He would hate it and I would feel like I had to keep him happy and entertained and it was be a.w.f.u.l. My best friends would want to stay in the private rooms and make it into a slumber party and they'd complain about the food in a nice, but complaining way and I don't think they would appreciate the experience in the same way that I did. I think I need to wait a long time so that my enthusiasm is not so upfront and I can sneak away alone. Not a very sharing thought but .......
Friday, February 07, 2014
they don't make them like they used to
When I got married, many many many many years ago, it was the beginning of the crockpot era. I got one of these new appliances as a wedding gift and at the time wondered what I was supposed to do with it. I used the little tiny cookbook that came with it to learn to make bean soup, stew, chili, and a few other handy items that served me well for many years. The crockpot alsoserved my entire neighborhood well. My good friend borrowed it frequently for teacher soup parties, the crew team used it for chili dinners for the kids, the Girl Scouts had many meals from it. It wasn't a fancy appliance but it always worked.
A couple of years ago, for reasons that will never be clear to me, my husband bought me a new crockpot. At this point we have 1) no children at home and consequently no need for handy, filling, inexpensive meals, 2) my other crockpot worked just fine, and 3) we were no longer involved in activities that required feeding hoards of hungry children and teenagers. But, his excuse was "This one has a removeable crock." Yes it does which is totally unnecessary. The old one had a big warning "DO NOT IMMERSE" as the 'crock' was not removable from the 'pot' but it was easily washed.
I have tried to cook with this new crockpot and everything turns to mush. I carefully follow instructions that I have used for years and years and years and they don't work. Today I tried again. Beef stew, on low, carefully following the instructions. It is now mush. Careful internet research yielded this note: "New crockpots are often 40 degrees hotter than older ones." Forty degrees! For a crockpot that's like 25% hotter. No wonder everything cooks down to mush - on LOW. I thought the whole point of a crockpot was a low temperature. I think if I use this one again I'll just use the 'warm' setting. I can't imagine using the 'high' setting. But I think the real solution is to pull my old faithful crockpot out of the cupboard and donate this new one to the thrift store.
A couple of years ago, for reasons that will never be clear to me, my husband bought me a new crockpot. At this point we have 1) no children at home and consequently no need for handy, filling, inexpensive meals, 2) my other crockpot worked just fine, and 3) we were no longer involved in activities that required feeding hoards of hungry children and teenagers. But, his excuse was "This one has a removeable crock." Yes it does which is totally unnecessary. The old one had a big warning "DO NOT IMMERSE" as the 'crock' was not removable from the 'pot' but it was easily washed.
I have tried to cook with this new crockpot and everything turns to mush. I carefully follow instructions that I have used for years and years and years and they don't work. Today I tried again. Beef stew, on low, carefully following the instructions. It is now mush. Careful internet research yielded this note: "New crockpots are often 40 degrees hotter than older ones." Forty degrees! For a crockpot that's like 25% hotter. No wonder everything cooks down to mush - on LOW. I thought the whole point of a crockpot was a low temperature. I think if I use this one again I'll just use the 'warm' setting. I can't imagine using the 'high' setting. But I think the real solution is to pull my old faithful crockpot out of the cupboard and donate this new one to the thrift store.
Monday, February 03, 2014
"The business of life is the acquisition of memories."
I'm catching up on "Downton Abbey" while I fold laundry. It has really sunk to the level of a soap opera but it still has a special British charm. Today I was struck by a comment by Carson, the butler. I don't actually remember the story line to which it refers. but I was totally struck by the quote - "The business of life is the acquisition of memories". When it is all over we don't need the china, the sofa, the car, the TV, the house, but we do need the memories of the times with friends, and family, and the experiences of sights and smells and trips which will keep us engaged and entertained and allow us to relive them through our memories forever. So my goal is whenever I need to make a decision between "stuff" and a memory, is to always make a memory. Thank you, Downton Abbey.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Cauliflower and Leek Soup
As part of my to-do list to cook new things I've been concentrating on soups. Last year I did a great job of trying new soups almost each week. This year I haven't been as good at planning ahead and shopping for ingredients so I've just been making meals out of what I happened to have in the pantry and freezer. Yesterday I had a head of cauliflower sitting in the fridge with no plan so I pulled out one of my soup cookbooks and found a recipe that I had tried and enjoyed last year. After a stop at the grocery for a couple of leeks I did this wonderful cauliflower and leek soup. I like it much better than broccoli soup, which I made last week, and it really is a filling dish for a cold winter day. Also note that my husband hates cauliflower and he actually didn't know that this is made with cauliflower as the main ingredient.
Caulliflower and Leek soup
2-4 T of butter
2 large leeks
1 large head of cauliflower
4 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup parmesean cheese (divided in half)
1/4 cup greek yougurt
Pepper to taste (don't need much salt as the broth, cheese, and butter are salty.
Parsley to garnish
Chop the leeks, including the green stems up until they get tough. I keep peeling back the outer stems to get to the softer inside parts.
Saute leeks in butter until soft - about 5 - 7 minutes.
Add cauliflower florets, chicken broth and cayenne pepper and cook until cauliflower is soft - about 20 minutes.
Use an immersion bender to blend to a creamy consistency. You can also use a food processor or blender to blend in batches.
Stir in 1/4 cup parmesean cheese and the yougurt.
Heat thoroughy.
Serve with a hefty garnish of parsley and a sprinkle of parmesean cheese.
This can be made ahead, frozen, reheated. It's very forgiving. With a nice crusty bread it makes a great winter dinner.
Caulliflower and Leek soup
2-4 T of butter
2 large leeks
1 large head of cauliflower
4 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup parmesean cheese (divided in half)
1/4 cup greek yougurt
Pepper to taste (don't need much salt as the broth, cheese, and butter are salty.
Parsley to garnish
Chop the leeks, including the green stems up until they get tough. I keep peeling back the outer stems to get to the softer inside parts.
Saute leeks in butter until soft - about 5 - 7 minutes.
Add cauliflower florets, chicken broth and cayenne pepper and cook until cauliflower is soft - about 20 minutes.
Use an immersion bender to blend to a creamy consistency. You can also use a food processor or blender to blend in batches.
Stir in 1/4 cup parmesean cheese and the yougurt.
Heat thoroughy.
Serve with a hefty garnish of parsley and a sprinkle of parmesean cheese.
This can be made ahead, frozen, reheated. It's very forgiving. With a nice crusty bread it makes a great winter dinner.
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
Every now and then I look on my sidebar and see the things that I've noted as "Things I want to do" and my "DIY projects" list. I put those up there a few years ago and very little has moved off the lists. It's not that I've done nothing for the last couple of years but not all those things hit the top of my priority list.
Here are the updated lists:.
Here are the updated lists:.
Things I want to do
Knit something more complicated than "cast-on, knit, knit, knit, cast-off"I have managed some some nice scarfs with color work, and a bit of lace, and some things that look much more impressive than they are hard to knit so I'm declaring this a success. I have a long way to go in my knit and crochet skills and my next goal will be to make a sweater (not a baby sweater as I can do that in my sleep but a sweater for me!)- learn finance (again) Actually this is my father's goal for me and I am totally hopeless at this.
Cook new and interesting thingsI do this in bits and spurts but I have expanded our menu selections (not always for the best!) and I have a wonderful bunch of new soup recipes to try- Practice piano
- Photography class (again)
Yoga classesI just wish the gym had more yoga classes but I think that the pilates and other stretch classes should count toward this. I particularly like the Sunday morning yoga instructor and just wish I could go to that class more often. It's at the same time as my dad's Sunday brunch time at my house so unless he's out of town I always miss it :-(
DIY projects
- Frame sailing picture I do have the frame catalog for these two items but I haven't adjusted myself to how expensive framing is. Even the do-it-yourself frames are expensive and the last thing I framed took me forever and I think I wore out the patience of the nice people at the frame workshop. These are two huge and odd shaped pictures so I don't even want to show my face at the workshop with these projects.
- Frame Sedona poster
- Wash windows - after yellow pollen season - And I can't cross this off because they got washed but they need it again!
Paint bedroomDone! and a lovely shade of tan (actually called Mushroom Bisque) with (not yet finished) white trim. The bedroom is getting complete do-over. Charlie made a built-in cabinet under the bay window for some extra storage so I could get rid of a dresser that was crowding the room. Next on the to-do list is to finish the trim paint, put up crown mouldings, and hang the curtains! So in crossing off one thing I've added three more!
Friday, January 03, 2014
One of my favorite people just announced she's no longer going to maintain her blog. I do thank her that she posted her announcement and didn't just leave me hanging and worrying as I have for some other blogs that I read and then had them just stop.
This blog, bushafullofgrace.typepad.com, was very special to me, it was actually the first blog I really followed and connected with, and I've always wished we could have connected IRL (in real life - I'm starting to understand some of the new text lingo). He life had its ups and downs, and rounds and rounds but she kept it "real", as we said in the 60's. It was not sugar coated, or turned into a sarcastic rant, or made into a TV sitcom. It was her life, her family, her happiness, her troubles. She kept me grounded reminding me that we have to see the beauty where we find it, we have to accept the pain along with the joy, and we are never going to make the right decision every time.
I think this may portend the end of the blog era. People are moving to Facebook where there is more immediate feedback and more pithy writing, but I was looking for the story, the person, the commentary, the personality, that I found in her blog.
So, Marianne, so long, I'll miss you. You know where to find me. Stay in touch.
This blog, bushafullofgrace.typepad.com, was very special to me, it was actually the first blog I really followed and connected with, and I've always wished we could have connected IRL (in real life - I'm starting to understand some of the new text lingo). He life had its ups and downs, and rounds and rounds but she kept it "real", as we said in the 60's. It was not sugar coated, or turned into a sarcastic rant, or made into a TV sitcom. It was her life, her family, her happiness, her troubles. She kept me grounded reminding me that we have to see the beauty where we find it, we have to accept the pain along with the joy, and we are never going to make the right decision every time.
I think this may portend the end of the blog era. People are moving to Facebook where there is more immediate feedback and more pithy writing, but I was looking for the story, the person, the commentary, the personality, that I found in her blog.
So, Marianne, so long, I'll miss you. You know where to find me. Stay in touch.
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